Market authority denies plea to stop demolition

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City Market Authority has denied the request made by the illegal settlers of Taboan Public Market to stop the demolition of their structures.

City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete, chairperson of the market authority, yesterday gave the market task force the go signal to go on with the clearing operation.

More than a dozen of vendors and other illegal occupants of Taboan market have sought the help of Councilor Jose Daluz III hoping that they can be allowed to con-tinue staying at the market.

However, Market Authority agreed during the meeting yesterday not to grant the request to discourage illegal occupants in the city markets.

City treasurer Ofelia Oliva, vice chairperson of the Market Authority, even ordered the ambulant vendors operating outside the main market building to occupy the va-cant stalls rather than occupy passageways.

Market administrator Raquel Arce also stood pat on her decision not to allow ambulant vendors to display their goods at the market's passageways because it will ob-struct the movement of the public.

Poblete and Oliva said that the vendors should use the 108 vacant stalls instead of putting up their goods at the passageways.

"Kon dili kamo mosulod dinhi sa merkado ug anha maninda sa mga stalls dili na lang usab mo angay'ng tugotan nga makapaninda diha sa gawas," Oliva told the ven-dors.

The vendors are complaining that no one buys their goods inside the building. "Diha na bitaw mi kaniadto maninda pero usa ka semana ra ko kay nangalata ang akong mga baligya'ng prutas nga wala gayud mangahalin," one vendor said.

The pigpens along Lakandula and B. Aranas Streets, however, were already removed after city health officer Stella Ygoña said it was a clear violation of the sanitary ordinance.

The FREEMAN, however, has observed that one of the pigpens was just moved by its owner from corner Lakandula and B. Aranas Streets to another place still along B. Aranas Street. (FREEMAN)