THE Mandaue City Council has approved an ordinance granting a moratorium on the daily rental fees paid by vendors of the Mandaue City Public Market for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) which will start on Monday, March 30, 2020.

Filed by Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, the proposed ordinance was approved by the council in a special session on Thursday, March 26.

Hyll Retuya, Lumapas’s chief of staff, said the crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic was what prompted the city official to draft the measure that waived the vendors’ stall fees.

“Any payments of stall rental which were made within the period of moratorium shall be therefore considered as advance payments after it shall have been lifted,” the ordinance said.

Around 1,800 stallholders are operating in the public market at a daily rental rate ranging from P30 to at least P100.

At present, only those who are selling essential goods have been allowed to continue their operations.

These vendors, though, are mandated to strictly observe social distancing and avoid physical contact with their customers.

Once the ECQ takes effect, the market will continue to operate but only for limited hours from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday. (KFD)