Market Talk

We were at the Equitable/PCI Tower 1 auditorium for the Symphony Sampler of the Metro Manila Community Orchestra (which enthralled us with their beautiful music) in the company of some very active homemakers. Active as in their days are always marked by going to palengkes to be able to put nutritious food on their tables. So while waiting for the concert to start and during intermission there was a lot of "market talk". We compared notes on our favorite wet markets and as we got some very interesting information we resolved to visit those markets the ladies spoke about. Such as the very clean Antipolo market and the much recommended one at Project 4 where good quality meat, freshly-caught fish and crustaceans and fresh produce are sold.

We took note of one report that in Antipolo some housewives are even spared the trip to the market because of ambulant vendors, who hawk their wares (fresh seafood) lako style. They go around town, pushing their karts, announcing (musically) what they are offering.

There was also the news that due to the recent fish kill in Pangasinan, the price of bangus went down to P30 a kilo. The housewives, however, are concerned about the safety of eating the fish. It seems that those raising the fingerlings were in a hurry to harvest a lot more than normal and therefore used more chemicals that’s legally allowed.

At a lunch with some close friends, there was also news concerning wet markets. We found out that the Manila Mayor’s efforts to clean Divisoria is succeeding and this has pleased the hundreds of regular shoppers, because they can now go into the selling areas and they can easily find space to park their cars. The streets are relatively clean, without vendors clogging the way with their wares, since they have disappeared from the sidewalks.

The happiest market note we got was that from our hometown, Biñan, Laguna. The Mayor has finally wielded his broom and literally swept away the street vendors within the area of the parish church and the municipal hall. A big feat and a challenging one at that, considering the sidewalks have been practically taken over by street vendors for years and years. We salute the Mayor and his officials for this. We would also like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Biñan municipal officials for recently giving an Award of Excellence to the "In My Basket column in the STARweek Magazine" during the recent celebration of Biñan’s 57th Liberation Day.

"D’yario" is a brand of ladies’ accessories (bags, etc.) produced by poor communities, specially from Payatas, as a means of livelihood and an expression of their creative skills. The bag we saw is a beautiful execution of recycled newspapers. Their products are handbraided, handcrafted and have the sturdy texture of abaca. They are of export quality. This is a testimony to the many talents of the Filipino which, when harnessed, can uplift the quality of life.

Now comes a very legitimate complaint from a pair of customers who encountered a very unreasonable and unbending store manager in Pasig. The much-advertised MC Home Depot on Ortigas Avenue has a very unique way of customer relations. They have imposed this regulation covering even defective appliances, which, by their rule, can not be refunded. The couple bought a Tai Lee brand oscillating fan and transformer which conked out on them after being used for only two days. They noticed that the items did not carry any guarantee paper nor instructions for use. When they brought the items back to the store, they were told about its "No refund" policy. The question is–does that rule also apply to defective products? That is most unfair and we are glad to hear that the Consumer Assistance and Protection division of the Department of Trade has taken cognizance of this case. This brings to the fore our continuing crusade for stronger consumer protection in this country.

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Lydia D. Castillo’s e-mail address: [email protected]