VILLAGES in Davao City are urged to create their own barangay (village)-based talipapa or public market, ordered under a passed resolution of the 19th City Council.
The City Council, on Thursday, April 17, passed a resolution urging all village captains in the city to adopt and create a scheduled mobile palengke system or a makeshift clustered barangay-based talipapa in their respective villages.
Councilor Pamela Librado-Morato, the resolution proponent, said a barangay-based talipapa would serve as an alternative mode to purchase commodities without risking their constituents of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection from crowded spaces.
Librado-Morato said the basis of her passed measure is pursuant to the Executive Order No. 23-A, issued by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, placing the entire city under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Duterte-Carpio, on April 16, recently formalized the extension of the ECQ until April 26.
“Due to the abovementioned Orders, the movement of people particularly going to grocery and public markets are limited, if not restricted, since public transportation is regulated,” the councilor said.
She added there is also a need to address the problem of large crowds and long queues in groceries and public markets, which may defeat the purpose of physical distancing to prevent the spread of virus.
Decongestion of people going to groceries or public markets every now and then, she said, could help promote physical distancing and lower the risk of Covid-19 infection.
Under the resolution, the mobile palengke or makeshift barangay-based talipapa will also raise accessibility to basic commodities like fruits, vegetables, fish, meats and other essentials. Thus, creation of these will also be an additional outlet for agricultural farmers and entrepreneurs.
Duterte-Carpio, in a previous radio interview, had already urged consumers to buy their groceries online, since there are establishments who are now offering mobile grocery services.
The mayor noted massive influx in markets and groceries despite the implementation of ECQ.
She called these places as “highly vulnerable places” for viral transmission, as social distancing is not properly observed.
This had led her to recommend for its strict implementation in public markets.
On April 16, she had announced the implementation of a coding scheme effective Saturday, April 18.
The coding will be based from the first number digit of the food and medicine (FM) pass control number.
Those FM passes with control numbers starting at odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are only allowed to go out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
While those control numbers starting at even numbers 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 are only allowed to go out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
FM passes, on Sundays, will not be honored, as all public markets will be closed.