FOURTEEN coconut vendors at the Mandaue City Public Market will be relocated to the second floor this coming Holy Week.
The move is aimed to provide a bigger space on the ground floor in preparation for a possible mass gathering as residents buy ingredients for “binignit,” or the traditional Lenten sweet stew.
Coconut milk is one of the ingredients for “binignit.”
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and officials of the City’s market authority agreed to the temporary transfer.
Edgar Seno, market supervisor, said they decided to transfer coconut milk sellers as they noticed that marketgoers often crowded their stalls during the Holy Week.
Seno said coconut milk vendors also take longer when selling their products since they still have to grate the coconut for several seconds.
Seno said the market’s second floor has a wider space because most of the shops renting there have closed since the pandemic started a year ago.
But Seno clarified they will only move the coconut vendors during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Seno said they have tasked the City’s utility personnel to manage the coconut vendors’ customers.
Personnel of the Mandaue City Enforcement Unit will also help enforce minimum health protocols such as wearing of face masks and face shields and social distancing, among others.
Seno added that the market schedule will be temporarily lifted on Maundy Thursday and on Good Friday to give all residents a chance to buy what they need.
Residents of Barangays Casuntingan, Cubacub, Ibabao-Estancia, Jagobiao, Opao, Tabok, Tingub, Centro, Guizo, Labogon, Mantuyong, Paknaan, Tawason and Tipolo are only allowed to enter the market on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Residents of Barangays Alang-Alang, Banilad, Cabancalan, Canduman, Looc, Pagsabungan, Umapad, Bakilid, Basak, Cambaro, Casili, Maguikay, and Subangdaku can enter the market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
On Sunday, residents of all barangays can enter the public market.
The Mandaue City Public Market will still continue to enforce its operating hours, which is from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will continue to disinfect after closing.
For the satellite markets, barangay officials are tasked to deploy tanods to enforce minimum health protocols from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday.
To ensure that quarantine protocols are strictly followed, personnel from the Mandaue City Market Authority will conduct randomly inspect satellite markets in the city. (KFD)