SAN JOSE, Antique – The launching of a community market in Barangay Sta. Ana in Pandan town has enabled residents to have more access to food supply amid the continuous threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Led by the Sta. Ana-San Joaquin Agrarian Reform Cooperative (SASJ ARC), in partnership with the barangay council, the ‘talipapa’ initiative likewise sought to lessen the number of people converging to the public market due to the implementation of community quarantine.
“The local government unit of Pandan has tasked each barangay to establish and operate talipapas and we acted on it immediately and partnered with the cooperative,” barangay chairperson Joseph Mariano said.
Mariano added that the cooperative was responsible for processing the permits and requirements for the establishment of the talipapa.
The community market has a wide array of commodities, ranging from native delicacies and cakes, Ready-to-Wear merchandise, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and processed products.
According to the Department of Agrarian Reform-Antique, the prices of these goods were regulated so that anyone can afford them.
For his part, SASJ ARC Chairman Jesson Jose Bation cited the establishment of talipapa as an opportunity for the local farmers and retailers to earn during the pandemic and give consumers another method to purchase their needs.
“This is a collaborative effort of the cooperative and the council. Seventy percent of the proceeds from the collection fee paid by the vendors will go to the cooperative and the 30 percent will go to the barangay council,” Bation explained.
The talipapa opens every Sunday which is a market day for the community.
With its launching last August, the community market has catered to residents of hinterland barangays in Pandan such as Brgy. Perfecta, Aracay, Badiangan, Sta. Ana, and San Joaquin.
For the initiative to be sustainable, coop members and local officials enjoined the community to support them by visiting and patronizing the products sold at the talipapa.
Meanwhile, visitors and barangay officials were urged to comply with the health protocols and to observe proper sanitation and waste disposal management. (PIA6 Antique)
