Night market revives Colon business traffic

CEBU, Philippines - When the downtown Cebu revitalization project hit the ground running a few years ago, program president George Chu and then vice mayor Michael Rama had one thing to prove—that Colon was not dead.

Its reputation marred by swarming criminal activities, Colon Street had to be repackaged in a way that will bring high foot traffic back to the oldest street in the Philippines.

 â€œAnd that’s how the Colon night market came to life,” Chu said. 

Now on its fifth year, the night market, he said, continues to thrive despite challenges on limited space for more stall applicants, absence of a better processing scheme for stall owners, and the once in a while yet more demanding challenge of them all—floods.

The night market only used to be one of the highlights of Christmas season in Cebu City but has now evolved into something “more permanent” with small-scale Cebuano and Muslim traders expressing their desire to operate year-round.

Mayor Rama earlier expressed his support to the idea, hoping that with a holistic program, Cebu City would be able to match the night markets in Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries.

This year, the night market opens between June 5 to July 5 in celebration of the annual Cebu Business Month, as well as between July 9 to August 7, on which the Muslims culminate their yearly Ramadan.

It will then resume during the Kasadya sa Downtown later in December.

In an interview, Maria Pino-Buanghog, president of the Cebu City United Vendors Association, told The FREEMAN that traders in Cebu City, particularly in the downtown area, have benefited a lot from the seasonal night market.

“Nakatabang gyud og maayo ang night market kay kung normal days, basta 7 p.m na, wala na’y tawo sa Colon. Pero kung naa’y night market, magdasok gihapon ang mga tawo bisan gabii na,” she said.

Strengths

Chu said that the night market is a little model of the public-private partnership.

“We give opportunity to small entrepreneurs, like Muslim traders, and we recognize their role in the economic build up of the city,” Chu said.

Based on his talks with leaders from the Muslim trading community, which comprises over 75 percent of the 200 stalls at the night market, Chu said stall owners are earning a decent amount of profit with more people now dropping by at Colon.

Chu attributed the public’s renewed confidence in going back to Colon for its night market to the tight security being implemented.

“Wala na kaayo ro’y kaso sa mga snatching—ginagmay nalang—dili pareha sa una,” he said.

Currently, about 20 personnel from the United Security Group, an anti-crime group, are manning the whole of Colon within the market’s hours of operations from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.      To further boost security, the Cebu City Police Office also deploys an intelligence group in the area.

Chu said they have also asked for additional manpower from the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to help regulate traffic within the area because of rerouting.

He added that the private sector is not being affected by the rerouting “since 6 p.m. is not considered a rush hour at the downtown area.”

The city government collects a total of P5,000 from every stall owner to defray expenses in electricity, business permit processing, as well as food, communication and transportation allowances for Citom personnel and the anti-crime group.

No politicking, please

Chu, also an economist, sees the night market as a sustainable way of helping a significant bloc of the small-scale traders and so he hopes that it will not be “politicized”.

“The government will initiate projects for the common good of the people. Aside from the need to revitalize Colon, we also see the need to help our small traders. I don’t want the night market to be politicized,” he said.

He also hopes that the Council will pass an ordinance or a resolution that will officially institutionalize a support system for small entrepreneurs wanting to maintain their businesses. (FREEMAN)