Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in a live interview in her Facebook Page by James Galay of the
Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday (Mar. 14) said the high percentage rate of fully vaccinated Dabawenyos makes the night market secure from unvaccinated ones who are just a few.
“No restriction with regards to vaccination because our vaccination rate is high and those who are not vaccinated are just a few,” Duterte said in vernacular.
She said the Roxas Night Market team has requested the date of reopening to give ample time for
raffling of slots, orientation of vendors, marking and delineation. The team is composed of city
officials including the City Treasurer’s Office. Paul Bermejo, head of the city government’s Ancillary Services Unit in an interview over DCDR on Thursday(Mar. 10) said preparations are now ongoing for the revival of the night market.
Duterte said the Night Market operation is like going back to square one after it was shut down due to the pandemic.
The city government closed the Roxas Night Market on March 12, 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. The closure affected up to 500 vendors including massage therapists based on record.
On September 12, it was reopened but was closed again two months later, on November 20, when COVID-19 cases surged.
With the no restriction policy at the soon to be reopened Roxas Night Market, Duterte reminded
Dabawenyos to always wear face masks if they are not eating or drinking.
Meanwhile, she continues to call on those who remain unvaccinated to get the anti-Covid-19 jab for
protection.
Duterte in the same interview said the continuing drop of Covid cases in the city indicates the
“Omicron surge” has ended. The Omicron-driven surge hit the city in the early part of the first quarter of this year.
“We can safely say the Omicron surge is finished. Hopefully there will be no surge again because our
vaccination rate is high here in the city,” Duterte said in vernacular.
The mayor confirmed there were only six Covid-19 positive cases recorded on March 13.
As of March 7, she said Davao City has achieved 86.20 percent vaccination rate for the first dose and 84.19percent for the second dose of the 80 percent of the city’s population. The 80percent of the city’s population is equivalent to 1,518,288.
Meanwhile, the city has administered 16.80 percent for the booster doses of the total number of fully
vaccinated individuals.
Duterte ordered the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions on Monday (Mar.7) with the significant drop in
Covid-19 cases.