“Tabo sa Banay” vendors want permanent stalls

Food and fruit vendors of the “Tabo sa Banay” on Paulino Gullas Street expressed they would want to make their stalls permanent by replacing plastic roofs with galvanized iron sheets and have these structures cemented, but City Hall officials were quick to prevent them.

City urban poor consultant Gerry Marquez said concerned vendors voluntarily removed sheets of galvanized irons when they were informed that they could not use such kind of materials for their makeshift stalls because their structures are built along city road.

“Tabo sa Banay” occupies half of Paulino Gullas Street, the alley located in between Best Buy Mart and the back of Gaisano Metro-Colon, which connects Osmeña Boulevard

and Borromeo streets.

The removal of GI sheets happened after officials of barangay Santo Niño under the leadership of barangay captain Wilfredo Po complained of vendors who renovated their stalls by replacing plastic roofing with galvanized irons.

Also, vendors reportedly would want to have their stalls cemented.

When The FREEMAN checked the site yesterday, it was observed that stalls were uniform in sizes with plastic and tarpaulin as roofing materials.

“Makadaginot man god unta mi kon sin ang among gamitong atop kay dugay man maguba. Pero kay dili man kaha mahimo, mosunod na lang mi,” one of the vendors said.

City Hall prevented the vendors from using galvanized irons and from having their structures concretized so the stalls won’t be categorized as permanent. This would also prevent possible demolition of said structures in the future.

Marquez admired officials of barangay Santo Niño because they have fulfilled their tasks, as provided for under an existing city ordinance, wherein they are empowered to stop illegal constructions in their area of jurisdiction. — Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV