Sellers of firecrackers started setting up stalls at the Bacolod Reclamation Area but none has been allowed yet to display their products unless they have secured a retailer’s permit from the Regional Civil Security Office (RCSU) of the Philippine National Police.
Ernie Pineda, executive assistant for Markets and Sectoral Concerns of the Office of the City Mayor, said that similar to last year, 62 firecracker retailers applied for special business permits from the Bacolod City government.
The special business permit, worth P1,500 each, is part of the requirements in applying for the retailer’s permit from the RCSU.
The applicants this year are the same sellers from last year, Pineda said, adding that they were already briefed about the guidelines set by the city government, the Bacolod City Police Office, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Each seller is allotted a 2.5×3-meter display area and a one meter space from the next stall. Each should have a drum filled with water, a sack of sand, and a fire extinguisher, in case of fire.
Sellers are required to put up signage of no smoking, no testing, and to observe physical distancing.
Pineda said once a seller acquires a retailer’s permit from the RCSU, he or she should inform his office so that the city can send personnel from the City Legal Office to inspect the area and help in crowd control. — MML
