Crackdown on defective scales urged

CEBU, Philippines - The City Council is urging the Market Operations Division to campaign aggressively against vendors who use defective weighing scales to trick customers into paying more than what they get.

With customers buying more than the usual this Christmas season, Councilor Nida Cabrera said it has been observed that some vendors have started taking advantage of the situation either increasing the price of their products or using defective weighing scales.

Cabrera said some of her friends have observed the sudden influx of peddlers in the city’s streets, especially at the wet markets.

“It seems that despite of the relentless and massive operations conducted by the MOD personnel, the perennial problem and presence of defective and dilapidated weighing scales continue to persist,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera said it is the responsibility of MOD to monitor markets consistently and conduct random inspections to ensure that vendors have the necessary permits to sell and their weighing scales have been registered and have not been tampered with.

The city government has earlier installed the so-called “Timbangan ng Bayan” in the markets here precisely to prevent tampering by vendors. In a resolution approved by the Council last Friday, Cabrera also asked the MOD to ensure that the “Timbangan ng Bayan” continue to work properly.

In an interview with The FREEMAN, some fish vendors admitted that their weighing scales are prone to defects.

“Parat man gud ang mga isda mao nga tayaon dayon ang timba-ngan ug dali ra maguba. Aw duna hinooy ubang tindera nga tuyoan g’yud nila nga manikas,” said vendor Maxima Caberte. (FREEMAN)