La Trinidad, Benguet is monitoring vegetable traders going in and out of the town.
Mayor Romeo Salda said they have asked the vegetable traders to cooperate to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the vegetable industry against the coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19).
“We are now getting the names of all the traders, helpers, and drivers so we can properly monitor them,” Salda said.
A “no touchdown” policy for traders and their helpers is being observed, meaning they cannot go down from their vehicles once they enter the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post as well as in Manila.
Salda said there are reports that these traders need to also interact with their buyers or vegetable sellers, which is why they need to enter the LTVTP or various trading centers.
The local government unit could not impose quarantine measures on them since the traders said they have limited personnel going in and out of the trading centers.
Salda said this is also in accordance to the advisory of the Department of Agriculture not to impede the flow of food products.
Everyday, around 200 farmers, 137 truckers and traders, 50 porters and 80 packers, are catered at the LTVTP, according to the La Trinidad vegetable trading post and markets management division.
But Salda said to properly implement social distancing at the trading post, they have only provided 700 passes to the various stakeholders of the vegetable facility.
Thermal scanners and checkpoints were also put in place at the facility to ensure those entering the trading post are following proper sanitation protocols.
Salda said once there are more test kits available, they will conduct testing to traders, drivers, and helpers that are mostly going out of the capital town. – Ofelia C. Empian
