Councilor slams closure of Talisay private market

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Councilor Danny Caballero of the opposition bloc yesterday criticized the city government’s move to close some stalls at the Nacario Trade Center (NTC) in barangay Tabunok on the ground that any closure would affect not only the small businesses but also market-goers.

“This whole thing has not only displaced small vendors, it has also deprived market-goers from getting cheap products that should have been available to them in Nacario,” Caballero said.

Caballero’s criticism came after the government ordered the closure of the stalls in NTC following an order issued by Regional Trial Court branch 7 judge Estela Alma Singco.

Stalls affected by this order were those engaged in selling vegetables, fruits, rice and corn, canned goods, noodles, dried fish, eggs and other poultry products or those found in Lagtang Public Market (LPM).

Apart from being a direct competitor to the still fledgling LPM, it was also found out that several of the stalls in NTC had no business permits.

But Caballero said these stallholders had applied for permits, but the city hall had allegedly denied them.

“I have talked to them personally and according to them, they applied for business permits, but the city hall rejected them,” he said.

“If doing this is to help the vendors in Lagtang, what about these newly displaced vendors?” he said.

The vendors from Tabunok Public Market were moved to Lagtang in August last year, and until now they are still reportedly complaining of low sales. One reason the vendors cited, apart from the inaccessibility of the area, is the presence of NTC.

Meanwhile, Councilor Val Chiong of the opposition said city hall officials who implemented the closure order may be cited for “contempt” considering that the case filed by the owners of NTC is still pending before the court.

Today, Fernandez and Vice Mayor Alan Bucao are expected to appear before Singco’s court “for a categorical agreement as to the extent of the operation of preliminary injunction” in relation to the civil case filed by the Nacarios.  (THE FREEMAN)