CEBU, Philippines — Markets, grocery stores and supermarkets in Talisay City are closed today as disinfection protocols begin.
The closure will be implemented each Sunday as announced by Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas in a Facebook post Saturday night.
“Sundays will be a time where groceries, supermarkets and markets will be closed,” he said.
“During this time we will do massive disinfection on city roads and public places,” he added.
The mayor has only allowed key establishments and offices to open every Sunday.
These are frontline government offices at the city and barangay level, pharmacies, medical clinics, hospitals, manufacturing and industrial business establishments, energy-related establishments (fuel and petroleum), bakery shops, and water refilling stations.
Lechon stalls are allowed to operate, but only until lunch time.
Gullas urged the public to stay at home on Sundays.
“People have been asking about if lockdown ba ta inig Sunday. Sayop na. That’s not true. I’d like to call it #STAYATHOME SUNDAYS,” his post reads.
The mayor stressed that “everything is temporary pending all the (COVID-19 test) results.”
Talisay has now registered six COVID cases.
In a separate Facebook post yesterday afternoon, Gullas announced that all remaining swab samples taken from 32 people who came in close contact with patient two (PT2) in Barangay San Roque turned out negative for COVID-19.
“After consecutive days of bad news, we finally have good news sa city. All of them were tested negative,” he said.
Earlier, 16 other people who came in contact with PT2 were also tested negative.
15T Workers
Meanwhile, over 15,000 workers in the informal sector joined the disinfection/sanitation project of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-7 under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
DOLE has shelled out a total of P61,318,620 as of May 6, 2020 for the TUPAD Barangay Ko Bahay Ko (BKBK) program.
DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton said P60,866,640 was spent for the wages of the beneficiaries.
“Workers were paid using the highest prescribed minimum wage rate applicable in the Region, which is P404 per day and are to work for only four hours daily for ten days," said Siaton in a statement.
TUPAD-BKBK caters to the workers in the informal sector whose income is greatly affected by the declaration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine due to COVID-19.
Qualified to avail of the program are self-employed, occasional workers, house helpers, transport drivers (PUVs, pedicabs, tricycle drivers, etc.), small enterprise operators, home workers, sub-minimum wage workers, farmers, vendors, and fishermen, among others.
Local government units through their barangays or respective Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) are at the frontline in the implementation of the program as they are in-charge with the list of identified beneficiaries and the completion and submission of documentary requirements to the Field Offices of DOLE. KQD (FREEMAN)