By Warren Elijah Valdez
DAVAO CITY – The City Council here passed two resolutions which would enhance government measures amid the extended enhanced community quarantine (EECQ).
In its regular session on Wednesday, April 16, the council approved two resolutions filed by Councilor Pamela Morata, who chairs the city council’s committee on labor and employment opportunities.
The approved resolutions included the fielding of mobile markets in the city’s barangays, and the fast-tracking of the granting of hazard pay to medical frontliners.
Morata filed a resolution urging all barangay chairpersons in the city to adopt and create a scheduled mobile palengkes (markets) system or makeshift clustered/barangay based Talipapa/ market in their respective barangays.
In the resolution, she said there was a need to address the problem of large crowds and long queues in groceries and public markets which may defeat the purpose of physical distancing in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“Decongestion of people going to groceries and public market every now and then could help promote physical distancing and lower the risk of Covid-19 infection,” she said.
This way, she said, markets, and supermarkets will only be congested with a minimal number of people.
She also submitted a resolution requesting the appropriate government agencies to ensure the provision of hazard pay to all private and public medical frontliners in the city who are giving medical assistance to COVID-19 patients.
Under the resolution, she said the hazard pay will also be considered as a sign of utmost gratitude to the medical workers who are risking their lives to save others since day one.
This was also to request the appropriate government agencies to ensure, and if possible, fast track the grant of hazard pay or special risk allowance to the healthcare workers.
She said this was in support for all their hard work, as they continue to risk their own lives following the COVID-19 outbreak.
In her privilege speech, she also reminded the public to be vigilant and take the necessary measures to not be infected with the virus.