VISAYAS
Bus terminals in Cebu to serve as temporary wholesale markets for agri goods
CEBU province’s local officials continue to find new measures to minimize convergence sites which serve as transmission opportunities for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as the number of cases in Cebu City, the central area, has shot up to 163 as of April 18. In a meeting last week, the province’s mayors agreed to designate two major bus terminals as temporary wholesale markets for agricultural produce. Fresh catch from the northern parts of Cebu will be traded at the North Bus Terminal instead of the Pasil Fish Market while farm produce from the south will be sold at the Cebu South Bus Terminal instead of the Carbon Public Market. The Pasil and Carbon markets within Cebu City will remain as retail centers. “As a new normal practice, wholesalers are to converge at the said terminals in a bid to continue their enterprise while avoiding exposure to possible COVID-19 carriers,” the Cebu provincial government said in a statement. Of the 187 COVID-19 cases in the entire Central Visayas, there are 10 in Lapu-Lapu City, six in Mandaue City, and three in towns under Cebu province. Cebu City’s high number of patients is due largely to an outbreak in one village, Barangay Luz, where there are 137 as Friday. The village has been put on strict lockdown with all residents considered as COVID-19 suspected cases. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia has handed over the province-owned evacuation center in Barangay Busay to Cebu City to serve as additional isolation facility for positive patients with mild illnesses. — Marifi S. Jara
MINDANAO
MICE conference, Ironman moved to 2021 as Davao City bans big events until end-2020
ALL major events in Davao City — including its Kadayawan Festival; the Philippine Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Conference; and the 3rd Alveo 70.3 Ironman, among others — have been cancelled or moved to next year. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, in an executive order issued Friday, banned all big celebrations for the rest of this year with the declaration of a “Period of Mourning and Vigilance.” In her executive order, Ms. Carpio said the period of mourning is intended to emphasize the value of sympathy for the families of frontliners who died in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as well as all those suffering from the impact of the crisis. The commemoration of important dates and legal holidays will also be kept short. Family and other private gatherings must be kept “low key.” She said, “As a guide, low key can mean a celebration in a public place with no more than 25 guests.” Private firms, meanwhile, are advised to consider food distribution, feeding program, or providing financial assistance to their employees instead of grand celebrations to mark important events. For the MICECON scheduled in September, Seda Abreeza General Manager Kennedy V. Kapulong, chair of the Davao MICE executive committee, said they will send a letter of recommendation to the Tourism Promotions Board for the postponement to 2021. The 3rd Alveo 70.3 Ironman, supposed to be held in May, will also be moved next year. — Maya M. Padillo
