Vendors hold protest rally

CEBU, Philippines - Citing decrease in sales, at least 100 placard-bearing vendors from Lagtang Public Market yesterday morning trouped to the Talisay City Hall to appeal to Mayor Socrates Fernandez to reopen the old market in barangay Tabunok.

It's been almost three months already since the vendors were moved to Lagtang Public Market, but since day one, they have been complaining about low sales at the new location.

"Daghan sa among mga kauban nga tindera ang nanira na tungod sa kahinay sa halin," said Marivic Lasquete, vice president of the fish section vendors.

Lasquete said since the transfer, their sales have dropped from the average of P1,000 per day to P100.

She said children of these vendors have stopped going to school.

"Kining kitaa di na gyud ni makasapal sa pagbayad sa among mga utang," she said.

Vendors see the location of Lagtang Public Market as the main reason why market-goers prefer the satellite markets.

Meanwhile, tricycle drivers, who earlier asked the city government to re-open the Tabunok terminal, supported the rallying vendors.

Tricycle driver Domingo Dela Rita, who attended yesterday's rally, said the city has to re-open the Tabunok terminal as most of their passengers' destination is Tabunok.

He said since they usually have no Lagtang-bound passengers, the city should not force them to use the provided Lagtang terminal if the only reason to go there is to load or unload passengers.

Lagtang is at least one kilometer from Tabunok, hence, most tricycle units while waiting for passengers, are crammed in the busy streets of Tabunok.

The report of the council committee on Laws submitted to the council yesterday, however, denied the re-opening of the old terminal, saying doing it would be tantamount to violating the ordinance which transferred the reference point to all tricycle units to Lagtang.

The committee report was in relation to the proposed resolution of Councilor Val Ylanan which seeks for the re-opening of the old terminal.

Meanwhile, Councilor Rodi Cabigas, for his part, said they have yet to discuss with the council and the mayor the vendors' appeal.

But he said, returning them to the Tabunok market may be "unlikely" considering that the old structure is "no longer viable" being very dilapidated and unsafe for the public.

In another development, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau has found several environmental violations committed by the local government of Talisay City with regard to the construction of its new public market in barangay Lagtang.

During the technical conference yesterday with several market vendors, tricycle drivers, LGU representatives and officials of the DENR it was found out that the new market has no solid waste management and the site development plan was not followed.

Several vendors alleged that the new market blocked the riverbed.

The DENR Land Management Services will conduct a survey to determine the veracity of the allegations.