Tacloban City Implements Strict Market Price Monitoring

TACLOBAN CITY — The City Agriculturist Office of Tacloban recently announced strict measures for monitoring prices in one of the city’s largest public markets in a bid to safeguard consumers.

City Agriculturist Romelo Anade added that one of the roles of his office is to monitor prices, emphasizing that consumers must also be treated fairly and honestly when acquiring essential commodities.

“One of our objectives is to make sure that customers do not have to ask for the price anymore,” said Anade. “Prices should already be visible.’

Under the new set of policies, price-tagging is now compulsory for all agri-fishery products, not just rice. The city mentioned that many stalls still have no price indications, which may cause confusion and overpricing.

With the requirement for visible price tags, the city aims to ensure that the market is free from unfair pricing.

The city government will also eliminate the practice of buying and selling in heaps or piles, commonly known in this place as “Bulto-Bulto” or “Pinundokpundok,” and all merchandise must be sold in kilos and labeled accordingly.

This regulation ensures that buyers receive exactly what they pay for and is a standard that businesses should meet.

These regulations must be followed for business renewals to take place. This means that only vendors who comply with market regulations, including price tags, can receive clearances from the City Agriculturist Office.

Vendors must attend an orientation and consultation meeting and obtain an attendance certificate to prove their understanding and acknowledgment of compliance with the new rules.

In addition to pricing, the monitoring program also addresses cleanliness and food safety. Vendors are required to provide their own bins for waste segregation to eliminate offensive smells.

Those selling wet goods like meat and fish must follow proper handling procedures to prevent contamination by bacteria and maintain public health.

Through these reforms, the city government aims to create a marketplace where the people of Tacloban, known as Taclobanons, can shop securely, knowing they are purchasing merchandise at fair prices, accurately weighed and properly handled.

The Tacloban City Agriculturist Office has assured consumers that these guidelines will be closely monitored to ensure their implementation for the benefit of both consumers and legitimate vendors.

(Photos: Vanguard News)