120 faulty weighing scales seized in Cebu City’s Operation Timbangan

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CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Market authorities confiscated about 120 faulty weighing scales during its 10-day “Operation Timbangan” in the ten city-managed public markets from May 30 until June 9, 2023.

Robert Barquilla, head of Operations of the Office of the City Market, said they conducted the operation following several consumer complaints.

“Naa may daghang mga complain gud nga 1 kilo iyang gipalit pero pag check niya, murag dili 1 kilo, mura rag three-fourth ra, unya gimando pod na sa atong mayor nga sa atong merkado, ipa monitor g’yod na ang mga presyo ug mga timbangan,” he told CDN Digital.

READ: Market vendors group in Cebu worried about proposal of amending Market Code ordinance

120 faulty weighing scales

Operation Timbangan is the city government’s campaign to protect consumers against the presence of defective and uncalibrated weighing scales in public markets in the city, including Carbon Public Market, Pasil Fish Market, Taboan Public Market, T. Padilla Public Market, and Pardo Public Market, among others.

Barquilla said most of the confiscated 120 faulty or uncalibrated weighing scales have a discrepancy of 0.50 grams.

Most of the confiscated 120 faulty weighing scales came from the Carbon Public Market, the biggest city-managed market.

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He said owners of faulty weighing scales with a discrepancy of 0.50 grams risk confiscating the inaccurate weighing scale and a penalty of P500.

Extend operations until June 30

READ: Cebu City MOD destroys close to 1,000 illegal weighing scales

“Upon releasing, ato pa na siya ipa recalibrate og balik. Pero kadtong mga dagko na nga discrepancy, kadtong mga 150 grams to 200 grams, dili na gyod na nato i release sa ilaha. Ato na gyod ng bungkagon. Ato na gyod ng gub-on,” he told CDN Digital.

Barquilla said he will issue another memorandum next week to extend the operations until June 30 as they have yet to cover the entire public markets in the city.

Some of the confiscated defective weighing scales in Cebu City public markets.| contributed photo

Vendors warned

He then warned those vendors who are intentionally altering the calibration of their weighing scales to take advantage of their customers.

“Sila mismo i check nila ang ilang timbangan unya kung tan-aw nila nga naay deperensya; ila g’yod nang ipa-recalibrate ug ilang ilisan. Unya, naa man gud say ubang vendors nga medyo may pagka badlungon. Ila g’yod ng tuyuon og liso ang timbangan. So, kung mao nay mahitabo, mao gyod ng ma confiscate jud nato na sila,” he said.

“Muhatag lang ta sa atong customer og klaro nga timbang sa atong pagpamaligya…Samot na karon tungod sa inflation. Dapat subsob sad ang pagcheck sa merkado ug sa mga timbangan,” he added.

For consumer complaints, Barquilla said they may visit the office of the Cebu City Market Operation Division at the second floor of Unit III of Carbon Public Market.

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