It’s time to quit

Egay Uy .

AS if the rising prices of basic necessities and prime commodities are not enough, petroleum products have consistently entered the fray.  On Tuesday, the prices of diesel fuel rose by 20 centavos per liter, gasoline by forty centavos and kerosene by fifteen.

Unlike rice and vegetables, petroleum products can be done away with, unless one is in the transportation business or has to use a motor vehicle for his daily routines.  This is why we can minimize the effects of the price hikes of these commodities by planning trips carefully and maximizing the use of motor vehicles to further distribution per capita cost of their operation.

Lately, the National Food Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry have entered into an agreement to tap supermarkets and grocery outlets to sell NFA rice which sell at a much lower cost that all other varieties of commercial rice.

This arrangement however was reported to have hit a snag because the supermarkets and grocery stores were required to secure permits to sell NFA rice but were allegedly given the run around.  The association of supermarkets and groceries nationwide, 200 strong of them, sort of complained for being required to secure permits to sell NFA rice.

The requirement to secure permits should not be an issue here because while we want to help in stabilizing the supply of a commodity in the market, we are nevertheless bound to abide by regulations.

Defying regulations should not be encouraged regardless of the urgency of a transaction or activity.  If we start doing that, the next moves of defiance could mean more problems than solutions because people will then get used to making shortcuts.  Worse, is when people start lining pockets with grease money to get what they want from regulators.

***

The Smoke Free CDO Task Force through its chairperson, Councilor Ma. Lourdes S. Gaane, has announced that the city will implement Executive Order No. 26 of the president effective Oct. 1, 2018.  The implementation will start with all government offices, both local and national, within the territorial boundaries of Cagayan de Oro City.  Other business establishment have also voluntarily signified that they are implementing the order in their respective businesses by Oct. 1.

Lately, the task force, of which I am a member, went to Davao to benchmark on how that city implemented its own version of a smoke-free city ordinance.  The team learned a lot of new things that will be incorporated in the proposed smoke-free ordinance that the Gaane committee is reviewing and finalizing.

To the smokers out there – it’s time to quit.