‘Ronda Palengke’ launched in Davao

The Office of Vice Mayor here, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), launched Friday morning, March 15, “Ronda Palengke” project, which aims to empower both consumers and merchants by raising awareness about consumer rights.

During the launching, a total of eight units of digital weighing scales have been distributed to four major public markets in the city. Two weighing scales that will serve as “Timbangan ng Bayan” were given to each public market to include Calinan, Toril, Agdao and Bankerohan.

The project conforms with Republic Act 7394, or the “Consumer Act of the Philippines,” which declares the state policy to protect the interests of the consumer, promote the general welfare and establish standards of conduct for business and industry.

The law also indicates the implementation of measures to provide protection against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices.

Vice Mayor Jay Melchor Quitain Jr., who led the activity, said that his office has provided additional weighing scales. Four of the eight weighing scales came from the latter’s office.

Quitain said he hopes to expand the program to the other small wet markets, or “talipapa,” in the city.

DTI Davao City Director Rachel Remetio said in an interview that the project was first implemented in the city across Davao Region. However, Remetio clarified that the program is similar to the previous DTI project called “Timbangan ng Bayan,” which was launched in 2016.

She said this is to supplement what has been provided in the previous program.

Remetio is also hopeful that the program will be duplicated in other cities and provinces in the region.

Quitain, meanwhile, lauded some vendors in New Agdao Public Market for the accuracy of their traditional weighing scales after they conducted a surprise inspection of the weighing scales used by the vendors.

Agdao Public Market supervisor Gerardo Castillo, for his part, said the Ronda Palengke project is one way of protecting consumers against deceptive sales acts and practices.

He said once they receive a complaint, the market supervisor will then report to the City Treasurer’s Office since they are mandated to seal, calibrate and check all the weighing scales. A penalty will be imposed on those who will be found cheating with the use of their defective weighing scales.

Castillo said that the Timbangan ng Bayan will be manned by the market security guard and their office staff.

These weighing scales will be placed in a strategic location in the public market where consumers can use in verifying the true and exact weight of their purchased commodity.