AFTER nearly six months of being closed, the reopening of the Roxas Night Market was expected to be like a blockbuster movie. But visibly there has been a low turnout of vendors and visitors when it reopened on September 12, 2020.
The market was supposed to open at 5 p.m. and it was expected that several vendors would already have set up their stalls. However, at 5:30 only a few vendors were seen setting up their stalls and selling goods. The market closed at 11 p.m.
Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) head Angel Sumagaysay, who was at the area to inspect the night market's first day, said 120 stalls were expected to occupy the night market.
Based on his breakdown, there would be 29 food stalls, 25 massage benches, 33 accessory stalls, and 33 ready to wear (RTW) stalls.
These vendors will be occupying the area for two weeks, and will have to wait for their turn after.
But only an estimated 10 food stalls, and 10 massage benches were seen. The accessory and RTW section, located at a separate cordoned area, was quite empty during the first night.
According to Sumagaysay, some vendors did not show up during the opening as they were still weighing on how the night market would turn out.
Nelson Lapeñas, a buko juice vendor, was among the first batch of market vendors.
Lapeñas said he struggled to look for other sources of income when the night market was closed in March this year following the declaration of the state of public health emergency.
"Lisod tong nawala ang Roxas. Naglisod kog pangita og sideline tungod sa lockdown. Maayo og natugutan na og pagbalik og abre ang night market (It was difficult for us when the night market was closed. It was not easy to find other jobs. We are thankful that the city has reopened the night market)," he said.
Lapeñas said before the Covid-19 pandemic, the presence of students from nearby schools helped boost their sales every night.
But as schools shift to a modular or online school setup, they are expecting that their sales would not be as high as before.
Another stall owner who wanted to be called Lita, a barbecue vendor, said while they are privileged to be part of the first batch of vendors, being part of the first batch is like testing the waters on how the night market would turn out.
"Medyo lugi ming naa sa first batch. Tungod expected nga dili gyud ana kadaghan ang tao. Murag sa second batch pa na medyo daghan (We are expecting some losses because not many will come on the first few days of the night market)," Lita said.
But she is still hopeful that her regulars will still return to visit her stall.
Sumagaysay, for his part, said some vendors decided not to put up their stalls on the first night of the reopening because they wanted to see how the night market would look under the "new normal" setup.
"Maybe nagatan-aw sila sa proseso sa pagsulod (They want to see how things are)," he said.
Despite the low turnout of vendors and market goers, Sumagaysay said the opening was still "successful" as health and security measures were in place.
Among the measures that were imposed in the market are the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields upon entering the market.
Before they will be allowed to enter, market goers must remove their shield and mask for facial recognition, then their body temperature will be checked. Also, market goers are required to bring their valid ID for security and contact tracing purposes. They are then required to step into the footbath and disinfect their hands at the handwashing station before proceeding to the market area.
A two-meter physical distance is being enforced by security marshals in the lines.
It can also be observed that there were city workers who have been assigned to check if vendors are following minimum health safety protocols.
There were also police officers who were roaming the area to remind the public inside the market to observe social distancing.
The long lines were observed at around 8 p.m., which reached in front of the Roxas entrance of Ateneo de Davao University.
To ensure that social distancing is observed, only 80 market goers are allowed to go inside the vicinity.
During the opening, members of the Davao City Police Office served as the live act, serenading the few crowds.
Meanwhile, a LED screen can be seen near the massage area, presenting the city's campaign of Culture of Security, encouraging Dabawenyos to be vigilant and report any information of terroristic and other lawless activities to the city's security sector.
In a random interview with some of the market goers, some admitted that they are still adjusting to the health safety measures imposed at the night market. But all of them agreed that it is for everyone's safety.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the city decided to reopen the night market to allow the vendors to return to their livelihood.
The mayor hopes that the reopening of the Roxas Night Market will not be a "contributor to the city's Covid-19 pandemic problem."
Some netizens have shared their worries about the market's reopening as it might possibly cause a surge in the Covid-19 cases in the city.
But the mayor said the city will strictly implement the health safety measures at the market to prevent the transmission of the disease.
The city is expected to increase the vendors allowed to operate and visitors allowed to enter if there will be no surge in Covid-19 cases linked to the market.