HOW SHOULD CITY DEAL WITH VENDORS?: Declare Unit 1 of Carbon under "state of calamity"

For the city government to fully exercise its police power, the city council must pass a resolution declaring unit one of the Carbon public market a calamity area so that vendors therein will be compelled to relocate.

In an interview with The FREEMAN, Councilor Gabriel Leyson, head of the city's committee on infrastructure said he and Councilor Christopher Alix, head of the city's committee on markets, will sponsor a resolution declaring unit one a calamity area and ask for appropriation to rehabilitate the building.

Market Administrator Jojo Dela Victoria said the vendors again reiterated their request to remain in unit one until the rehabilitation will start or that those that are selling fish should only be the ones to relocate because it is in their area where the 17 dangerous concrete posts are located.

But Dela Victoria said the vendors' request poses danger to their lives considering that it cannot be preempted when the building might collapse considering that the 17 concrete posts are no longer connected to the building's foundation. Likewise, Dela Victoria said that contractors might not agree to rehabilitate the area if there would still be vendors occupying the building.

However, the market authority can only do so much to convince the vendors to relocate unless the city council approves a resolution to declare unit one a calamity area and appropriate an amount for its rehabilitation.

Until such time, Dela Victoria said they cannot fully exercise their police power. One of the vendors' main concerns is the possibility that they would lose their frequent customers if they relocate.

The city government through acting mayor Michael Rama also assured the vendors that it would take care of the ambulant vendors in Escaño Street where the vendors would opt to relocate but the same did not fully convince the vendors to immediately leave unit one.

"It's high time for them to understand...we understand them but our concern is their safety," Dela Victoria said.

Last week, Mayor Tomas Osmeña approved to relocate over 400 vendors after the city engineer's office found out that unit one of the Carbon public market is in danger of collapsing anytime. This was found out after an ocular inspection was conducted in the area two weeks ago.

This might be because the posts are very much susceptible to water considering that the structure, said to be built in the 1950's, is near the sea.

Engineer Antonio Sanchez recommended that the place be vacated the soonest possible time as it "poses eminent danger to life and property." There are 500 stalls in unit one, 471 of which are occupied by fish and meat vendors and eateries.

The city government had recommended that the vendors relocate at the second floor of unit three but the vendors reportedly intimated that the venue is not necessarily healthy for business.