Angeles City orders supermarkets, food shops to prioritize residents

PAMPANGA, Philippines – The city government has ordered supermarkets, food shops, and other establishments that sell essential goods to prioritize Angeles City residents while Luzon is on lockdown over the coronavirus outbreak.

This is pursuant to Ordinance No. 530, series 2020, approved by Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr, that mandates stores of basic necessities to prioritize consumers residing in the city, according to a statement of the city government  issued on Friday, March 20.

Section 4 of the ordinance states: “During a state of calamity, residents of Angeles City will be given priority to purchase essential goods from supermarkets, groceries, and other similar establishments in Angeles City.”

A state of calamity was declared in Angeles City on March 17. A day earlier, Pampanga a state of calamity was declared in Pampanga. 

The ordinance directed supermarkets and similar establishments to require consumers to present proof of residence like driver’s license, voter’s ID, Barangay ID, and other identification cards that certify that they are city residents.

The directive covers all supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, and other establishments selling food, drinks, and other necessities in the city.

Limited purchases

The ordinance also limits the quantity or volume of essential goods consumers can buy at a given time as follows:

• 2 liters of cooking oil
• 2 kilos of sugar
• Maximum of 25 kilos of rice
• 6 rolls of toilet paper
• 3 rolls of kitchen towels
• 6 pieces of bath soap
• 1 box of multivitamins
• 1 gallon of disinfectant solutions such as Clorox, Lysol, and Domex
• 10 pieces of surgical masks 

The ordinance also limited the purchase of rubbing alcohol per customer:  two bottles if the size bought is 500 milliliters (ml), 3 bottles are allowed if less than 500 ml, and one bottle if for more than 500 ml.

Each customer can buy only three 100-ml bottle of hand sanitizers. 

Lazatin said the city government imposed the measures to help protect the welfare of residents in the city.

There are no confirmed coronavirus cases in Angeles City, as of posting, but Pampanga has 3 confirmed cases, one of whom had died. 

A 2015 census placed Angeles City’s population at 411,634 people. – Rappler.com