Soc delays market's closure

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez yesterday withdrew his order to close the old Tabunok Public Market to give the city government time to study the concerns of the vendors.

"Postponed sa nato, but as to when, we still don't know samtang padayun pa natong studyuhan ang mga yangongo sa mga manindahay," said Fernandez shortly after more than two hours of dialogue with the vendors at his office yesterday morning.

The dialogue, which was also attended by Fr. Max Abalos, was called for to hear once again the sentiments of the vendors, said Fernandez.

Only representatives of the 900 Tabunok Public Market were however there to raise their issues to the city officials.

During that meeting, the group members reiterated their stand that they would not move to the new market if the city government would not make corrective measures that would benefit them.

They raised anew the lack of parking space for tricycle units, the danger it poses as it is near the Mananga River, the stall size which they said is smaller compared to the ones they have in Tabunok, among many others.

Marivic Lasquite, vice president of the Association of Fish Section Vendors, claimed that the new market can not accommodate all of them as there are only 86 stalls while there are 180 fish vendors that will be using the market. They also claimed that there are only 300 stalls in the new market.

Fernandez assured the fish vendors, including those in the other sections, that if the stalls are not enough for all the legitimate sellers in the Lagtang Public Market, he would immediately order for the cancellation of the transfer.

City accountant Viluzminda Villarante, for her part, however explained that although every vendor from the old market will be accommodated in Lagtang, the legitimate ones, or those promptly paying their rents and taxes to the city, will be prioritized.

City administrator Richel Bacaltos said that complainant Lasquite is among those vendors operating with no business permits.

Bacaltos however did not say if Lasquite would not be given a stall at the new market, especially that a business permit is one of the requirements for a vendor to be awarded a space in the P140-million facility.

As of last week, there were already more than 130 old vendors who applied for stalls in the Lagtang market.

In that meeting however, Paul Labalan, spokesperson of the group, said he would even "persuade" his fellow vendors to transfer if all their concerns would be addressed by the city government.

One of the concerns they raised yesterday was the lot area of the new market, which they claim is not 2.7 hectares as what the city had declared.

Labalan urged the city to survey the property. He said they will only transfer if the old plan, which contains several buildings and a wide parking space, would materialize.

But Fernandez said only a "miracle" could make that happen especially that the most of the property already has structures in it.

Vendors held a vigil at the Tabunok Public Market as a protest to the transfer which was supposedly to take place yesterday. (FREEMAN)