EIGHTEEN mobile markets will start going around Cebu City after the program was launched on Thursday, April 2, 2020, to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The first stop will be Barangay Apas.
Cebu City Market Administrator Jonil Matuguina said the City is supposed to deploy 35 mobile markets but it is still waiting for some barangay captains to coordinate with the City or the office of City Councilor Renato Osmeña Jr.
“We are really coordinating with the barangay kay sila muhatag sa location (because they will provide the location), as well as inform their constituents (about the presence of the mobile market) because we wanted, really, to observe social distancing,” Matuguina said.
The mobile markets will sell meat, fruits, vegetables and other food supplies so residents won’t have to go the supermarkets or the public markets. These will be managed by farmers, vendors and stall owners at the Carbon Public Market.
Up next for the mobile markets are the barangays of Cogon Pardo, Luz, Pamutan, Quiot and Taptap.
Matuguina said he is already in talks with the barangay captains of these areas.
He is also coordinating with Sambag 2 Barangay Captain Ryan Aznar so the City can send the goods that the village chief will request.
He urged barangay captains to set aside a space for the mobile market and to brief residents to follow Covid-19 protocols like social distancing while making purchases.
Mayor Edgardo Labella said mobile markets will help limit the movement of people.
“They (vendors) will go to the different barangays. Makapaminus ni sa pag-ari sa mga taw sa mga (public) markets nato (this will lessen the number of residents going to public markets),” he said.
The mayor said they will deploy more mobile markets, depending on public demand. (JJL)