Scenes from the Carbon Market in Cebu City on Holy Wednesday, March 31, 2021. | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) suggests the re-implementation of the ‘One Entrance, One Exit’ policy in the Carbon Public Market, particularly in the afternoon to avoid overcrowding.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, CCPO deputy director for operations, said they will be recommending the said policy to market administrators like what was being implemented during the Holy Week.
Parilla recalled that during the Holy Week, there were persons who monitored the number of individuals who enter and exit the market.
“Ang ato rang ma-recommend katong one entrance, one exit, and then monitoring sa number of persons, kay naa man sila’y counter… katong gibuhat nato kaniadto, naa to’y counter nga mag monitor kon pila na kabuok ang nakagawas, mao nasad ang pasudlon,” he said.
Parilla, however, said that according to the chief of police in Carbon Police Station, the crowding situation in the market does not occur 24 hours a day but usually only during the afternoon when people buy goods, particularly from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“Hapon mao gyud idagsa sa daghang mamalit diha sa Carbon. Kay mao sad ni ang tingggawas na gikan sa trabahoan, mamalit, mohapit nalang sa Carbon. Dili nasad init mao nang daghan nang mamalit mahapon,” he added.
Parilla said the chief of police of said station was already directed to initiate a meeting with the market administrators, representatives of vendors, and Ermita barangay captain, to come up with specific measures.
He said it would still be up to them whether they will adjust the hours and days where buyers could buy goods, stressing that they are the ones who know what is best for them.
Parilla also clarified that there are policemen stationed in the area, but not as many compared to the Holy Week, where the majority went there only to buy ingredients for ‘binignit.’
Parilla also said that putting some distance between stalls to ensure social distancing among buyers is also highly impossible since market vendors have already rented the space.
Parilla further said that they already asked to regulate the e-bikes plying in the vicinity of Cebu’s biggest wet market as they too add up to the traffic congestion in and around the market. /rcg
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