San Carlos regulates public market hours

A NEW schedule of business hours at the San Carlos Public Market will be implemented today, March 20 as Mayor Renato Gustilo signed the Executive Order No. 116 on March 18.

In the executive order market hours shall be at 6am to 5pm but store/stall owners will be allowed to enter the premise one hour before opening and to exit an hour after the closing time to clean and sanitize their respective areas which also applies to stores outside the public market building and along Valdevia and Medina Streets.

In addition, space/stall rental fees will also be waived upon the effectivity of the order until the state of the general community quarantine is lifted.

The order emphasized that it will not be applied to night market which operates 4 to 10 p.m.

Leila Mansueto, OIC of the Public Market and Slaughterhouse Department said she met up with the store/stall owners and explained to them why the government needs to shorten market hours.

She said the city sees to it that store hours will be convenient for both vendors and consumers.

Mansueto stressed that there has been no panic buying and food supplies are still sufficient as of the moment although profits are declining.

She also ordered stall owners as well as their helpers to use face masks and urged the buying public to do the same.

Elvira Aurita, a 54-year-old vendor and Primitiva Rebaja, 79-year-old consumer, both affirm to the new policies as part of the city’s measures against covid-19 pandemic. (PR)