Pasig City’s ‘mobile palengke’ boosts social distancing

FILE: Pasig City’s “mobile palengke” (Photo: Vico Sotto/Facebook)

MANILA—The Pasig City government has installed five roving stores or ‘mobile palengkes’ which will stroll in all of its barangays so residents do not have to go to the markets to buy produce amid the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Tuesday said the initiative seeks to ensure that people will not flock to the Pasig Mega Market and other public markets.

“Upang mabawasan ang dami ng tao sa Pasig Mega Market at mga talipapa, inilunsad namin ang ‘mobile palengke’ (To reduce the number of people at the Pasig Mega Market and other markets in the city, we have launched the ‘mobile market,’), he wrote on Facebook.

Pasig Mega Market is one of the biggest wet markets in Metro Manila.

He said prices of the commodities being sold in the ‘mobile palengkes’ will be the same as the prices in the public markets.

“Presyong palengke, mas malapit sa mamimili, at tulong na rin sa mga maninindang Pasigueño (Its the same price as markets, its closer to customers, and it’s our way to help our Pasigueño vendors),” he added, urging his constituents to stay home amid the ongoing quarantine.

He said goods such as rice, meat, vegetables, and other produce were all sourced from the vendors of Pasig Mega Market “to assist them generate income”.

Food packs, grocery items

Meanwhile, the Pasig local government on Wednesday already started the distribution of about 400,000 food packs and grocery items to its residents.

“Isa sa mga inuna natin para sa distribusyon ng grocery/food packs ang MPK (Munting Pamayanan ng Maykapansanan) sa Barangay Manggahan. Marami pong persons with disabilities dito (We have prioritized the distribution of grocery/food packs to the ‘Munting Pamayanan ng Maykapansanan’ in Brgy Manggahan. There are many persons with disabilities here)” Sotto said.

“Ang target po nating matutulungan ng food packs na ito ay yung mga lugar sa Pasig na mas marami ang mahihirap (We are targeting to provide food packs to areas with people that are less fortunate)” he added.

He said the local government sees the need for Pasigueños during the community quarantine, and assured them of assistance from the city.

“Gagawin natin ang lahat ng makakaya natin upang maibsan ang hirap ng sitwasyong ito, ngunit humihingi din kami ng pag-unawa ng bawat isa (We will do our best to alleviate the difficulties of the situation, but we also seek for your understanding),” he added.

The distribution of the food items to residents in Pasig, he said, will take about seven days.

He said it is “not really easy to provide assistance to more than 100 thousand families in just seven days,” but assured the public that the local government will extend its efforts to sustain the needs of its constituents.