‘Bagsakan Center, Tindahan sa Kapitolyo’ remain — Garcia

CEBU, Philippines —  Bagsakan Center and Tindahan sa Kapitolyo will stay as Cebu province transitions to general community quarantine (GCQ).

Sugbo News, the official news outlet of the Cebu Provincial Public Information Office, reported yesterday that Governor Gwendolyn Garcia assured that the two provincial government initiatives will remain operational despite the province lifting its enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

In the news release, Garcia said that during the GCQ, the Bagsakan Center and Tindahan sa Kapitolyo would be even more crucial to residents because they will no longer be considered for the second tranche of the distribution of the social amelioration fund.

To recall, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced during one of his virtual press briefings that residents under areas in the country put under general community quarantine have been cut from the list of beneficiaries of the social amelioration program.

Only residents of areas under ECQ will be eligible for social amelioration.

Garcia said she hopes that during the transition to GCQ, residents would be back to work so they may start receiving income once again to be able to access basic commodities.

In the meantime, they can continue to procure discounted products from their respective Tindahan sa Kapitolyo.

“Ato usa nang tabangan nga makatransition ni sila. Wa na ma’y ayuda kahang madawat, hopefully maka-balik na sila ug trabaho aron maka-earn. Duna na’y mapalit, mahimong ipalit. In the meantime, ato usa nang ipadayon,” she said.

The Tindahansa Kapitolyo is a government-run market in the province’s component cities and municipalities.

Aside from abiding by the enforced price ceilings, the Cebu provincial government has also “absorbed” up to 10 percent of the prices of each product in order for residents to procure the commodities at a discounted rate.

On the other hand, the Bagsakan Center situated in the Cebu South Bus Terminal has been established by the Province of Cebu as the official dropoff point of products from the province to be sold in Cebu City.

This is to avoid the possible exposure of delivery personnel to COVID-19 positive areas.

Here, only bulk sale of fresh produce and other goods to vendors is allowed.

Last Saturday, May 16, Cebu technically transitioned to GCQ. However, the GCQ guidelines and protocols in Garcia’s executive order will be effective this Wednesday, May 20. KQD (FREEMAN)