March 29, 2024

The city government is planning to come up with rolling stores in the city on top of the provision of food packs to identified residents after the city was placed under community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said they aim to ease the movement of goods and essential items for residents at home through the rolling stores.
“To make sure that food and basic necessities are available in the barangays, we will have rolling stores twice a week,” the mayor said upon discussion of the plan with Councilor Michael Lawana, Association of Barangay Councils president, and barangay officials.
Magalong said he met with six of the biggest groceries in the city and learned that their remaining stocks of goods are good for two to three weeks.
Final arrangements are being done for the operation of the rolling stores to cater to the city’s 129 barangays covered by 12 districts.
According to the City Public Information Office, each district with a cluster of five to eight barangays will have one rolling store with corresponding product distributor to be assigned.
The community quarantine, also imposed in entire Luzon, restricted transport, led most commercial establishments and government offices in the city to close temporarily, and ordered residents to stay at home except when they need to buy basic necessities and for medical emergencies.
The city started distributing food/relief packs to affected residents last week, prioritizing the vulnerable households identified by their respective barangays as per Department of Social Welfare and Development guidelines. – Hanna C. Lacsamana