THE Task Force Market Disiplina in Bacolod City has intensified its operation in various public markets against violators of minimum health protocols, especially in three major public markets in the city.

Executive Assistant Ernesto Pineda, cluster head on markets, on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, said the task force market was deployed to various public markets to ensure strict implementation of minimum health protocols.

The task force is composed of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), the Socio-Economic Enterprise Units in the three major markets, the City Legal Office (CLO)-Enforcement Team, market supervisors, and the Community Information Service Support Group.

He said health protocol violators will be given citation tickets. Those who are from Bacolod will be fined P200 while non-residents will be fined P300. Those who will fail to pay penalties will be endorsed to the barangay for community service.

From January to June, more than 22,000 violators were fined for not wearing face masks and face shields, violating the curfew hours and liquor ban, and not observing social distancing.

Pineda said some task force personnel were deployed at major markets to scan and inspect Bacolod City Covid-19 Tracing System (BaCTrac) identifiation cards of customers and make sure that social distancing and wearing of face masks and face shields are observed.

He said another group was also assigned in and out of the market areas to remind the public of the minimum health protocols.

Aside from Task Force Market Disiplina, he added members of Task Force Disiplina led by Wilfredo Geolingo were also deployed to various barangays to penalize the violators of health protocols.

On Monday, more than 30 persons were fined by Task Force Disiplina led by Geolingo at the Bacolod public plaza for not wearing face shields and not observing the social distancing.

“We intensified our operation to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). We need the cooperation of everybody here since we are still under general community quarantine with heightened restriction,” Pineda said.