Dad mulls waiving Pasil market rentals

CEBU, Philippines - City legislators mulled waiving rentals of stalls at earthquake-damaged Pasil Fish Market, but the city market administrator is opposed to it since rental collection is an economic enterprise of the city government.

Councilor Gerry Carillo yesterday moved that the City Market Administration study the possibility of waiving fish vending stall rentals considering a portion was closed due to structural damage caused by magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol last October 15.

But, city market administrator Raquel Arce does not support the plan because suspending rental collection would affect the income of the city government as it undergoes rehabilitation efforts to bounce back from the earthquake and also preparing for the coming of super typhoon Yolanda, which is expected to affect Cebu either today or Friday.

Daily stall rental of sized-eight-square-meter  is at P60 with P2 per square meter set by the city government.

According to Arce, Pasil Fish Market has a total of 300 vendors where 200 of which are legitimate  and  the rest are ambulant.

She added that concreting and other development expenses done by stall renters will be offset in the rentals.—(FREEMAN)