READ| Humanitarian appeal to allow small motorized fish and vegetable vendors to cross checkpoints without delay
Following Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of a national state of calamity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture (DA) already issued Memorandum Circular 9 series of 2020 on 20 March 2020.
The circular provides for the UNHAMPERED MOVEMENT of ALL CARGOES, AGRICULTURE and FISHERY inputs, FOOD products, and agribusiness PERSONNEL nationwide, covering Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In all quarantine checkpoints, cargo lanes are designated by the Philippine National Police to ensure that agriculture and fishery inputs and food products are transported across all modes of deliveries (small, medium, large). Food passes are to be given free of charge for entry into cargo lanes.
In BARMM, small vendors play a critical role in bringing food to communities, helping ensure that families stay in their homes and will not have to travel to the market to buy their food. The unhampered movement of small vendors is as important as the medium and large modes of delivery, especially that the Enhanced Community Quarantine is extended until April 30 and Ramadhan is coming soon, which requires more meticulous and advance food preparations.
HOWEVER, various constituents have notified us that some LGUs have NOT been able to facilitate the unhampered movement of small motorized fish and vegetable vendors who intend to deliver food to communities. This inability contributes to the food shortage, will have serious negative consequences for the families and makes the implementation of the quarantines less effective. In this connection, we would like to request the LGUs to immediately facilitate the movement and passage of the small motorized fish and vegetable vendors, allowing them to cross checkpoints without delay. We specifically appeal to all the Local Chief Executives (mayors) in the Bangsamoro Region to extend assistance to the small motorized fish and vegetable vendors so they can be equipped with all the necessary documents and other requirements to pass through cargo lanes. As their products are priced for low income families, the small motorized vendors can also become partners in the satellite food markets. We hope that our appeal can be heard as we all diligently follow all the important protocols to protect ourselves against COVID-19.
