Temporary relief from truck ban set

VEGETABLE stakeholders were given a temporary relief from the Baguio truck ban, allowing them road access while amendments are being done to the new law.

Augusta Balanoy of the Benguet Farmers Marketing Cooperative said a meeting with Baguio City Councilor Benny Bomogao yielded to the temporary relief from the ban.

Bomogao is the chairman of the committee on public utilities and traffic, transportation and legislation overseeing the implementation of the ban aiming to declog city streets of trucks which cause traffic.

"The prayer of the veggie group is total exemption kasi nga ang program naman ng gobyerno is national food security… but if it won’t really be possible, then at least the adjustment on the time," Balanoy said.

Balanoy, however, said the alderman is not keen on giving a total exception saying an abolition of the new law would be in order if total exemption will be given to groups.

Stakeholders composed of various associations whose members are stakeholders of the local vegetable industry, from buyers, disposers, farmers, packers and porters has been crying foul over the recent implementation of Baguio City’s truck ban, which they allege will slowly kill the industry if not corrected.

The group said the truck ban will delay the transport of produce to end markets and the time restriction imposed by the Baguio truck ban will destabilize the entire industry.

An average of 100 trucks haul vegetables daily, with 50 trucks affected by the tuck ban carrying around 800 to 900 thousand kilograms of assorted vegetables.

Balanoy said this volume turns into losses if the truck ban will continue and worst the buyers might stop buying local vegetables and invest on imported vegetables.

Stakeholders say they are transporting food which are highly perishable and should be prioritized, adding Benguet and the Cordilleras as a whole supply 70 percent of the needs of the country for temperate vegetables.