Market stall-owners finally get official receipts

CEBU, Philippines - Government personnel assigned at the Mandaue City Market have now started issuing official receipt everytime stall-owners at the makeshift market pay their daily rentals.

In an interview, market administrator Mosulini Suliva said starting last January 26, his personnel have already started issuing official receipts each time the market vendors pay their P30 daily rentals.

The issuance of Ors is in compliance with the provisions stipulated in the interim ordinance approved by the City Council last month.

During a public hearing last November, market vendors were informed of the crafting of an ordinance establishing the regulation of the rental rate of the makeshift spaces as temporary stalls at the premises of the old market.

Makeshift market stalls were constructed just outside the premises of the public market at the back of Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Center after the said market was devastated when the 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Central Visayas in 2013.

Although stall vendors were paying a P30 daily rental of their makeshift stalls, no ordinance had yet been crafted for the collection of such fees and this prompted City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas to come up with one.

Lumapas said ordinance will help avoid any technicalities with the Commission on Audit.

It was also during the public hearing that market vendors also demanded that they be issued with an official receipt everytime they pay for their daily rentals instead of the "cash ticket." Vendors contended that they be given Ors because they are different from ambulant vendors who are issued cash tickets.

During their meeting yesterday, Suliva said market vendors also complained that the decreased number of customers and public utility vehicles passing at the makeshift market near the City Sports and Cultural Center is causing them lower sales.

Suliva said the vendors urged government officials to expedite the building of new market.

"Pwerti na nilang reklamo karon kay nisamot kagamay ilang kita nga talagsa na lang kaayo ang mga tricycle ug jeep nga mohapit sa merkado ug busa dili na pud motuyo og adto ang mga tawo kay dili gusto,magpas-an inig uli," Suliva said.

When they raised the problem to the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, it was learned these tricycles and PUJs are hesitant to ply the market route because they are already full of passengers.

With such problem, market goers prefer to just buy at the satellite markets in their respective barangays and at the old public in Barangay Centro wherein most ambulant vendors sell daily consumption and wares.

It was also learned from Suliva that at present, the city government is still in the process of weighing the proposals of entities which have the intention to demolish the old dilapidated market in Barangay Centro where the proposed new market will rise.

The city is skeptical in accepting proposals considering that the scrapped materials taken from the aid dilapidated building can still be valued.

But Suliva said that he is hopeful that the construction of the market will indeed materialize this year. —  (FREEMAN)