Carbon vendors stage protest over interim transfer of stalls

CEBU, Philippines —  A group of disgruntled vendors staged a protest Monday over the move to transfer them to their new stalls at Carbon Public Market.

Around 700 vendors under Warwick Barracks and Freedom Park will be transferred soon with over 50 of them expressing disagreement. These include some vendors of flowers, furniture, and native products, among others.

“Dili gyud pwede nga moadto mi didto. Maong amo gyud pakigbisogan, makiglimbasog gyud mi aning hitabo. Sa wala pa nikuan si Mayor (Michael) Rama ang iyang giingon nga kinahanglan ang MOA maayo, matul-id daghan pa kaayong sayop sa JVA, mao na among gipangita asa ang tubag ni Mayor Rama,” said Antonio Remedio, chairman of the Freedom Park Traders Association, yesterday.

Association of Barangay Councils president and ex-officio City Councilor Franklyn Ong and fellow Councilor Alvin Dizon went to show support to the vendors.

Dizon said he is also expecting Rama would review the Joint Venture Agreement between the City of Cebu and Megawide Corporation for the Carbon Market modernization.

“Sa makausa pa, atong awhagon si Mayor Rama sa iyang saad nga iyang review-hon ang naa sa JVA para ma kurehian ang kinahanglan makurehian para ang mga vendors diri sa Carbon market, maprotektahan and ilang katungod sa maong proyekto ug most especially sa atong mga consumers, nahadlok ta nga motaas ang mga presyo sa palaliton kung madayon ning modernization,” said Dizon.

Rama, for his part, said he has not forgotten about it but admitted it has taken a back seat at the moment due to the sudden twist of events concerning the devastation brought about by Typhoon Odette and the surge of cases driven by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Some vendors had sought the court’s intervention regarding the project but their petition was dismissed by the Regional Trial Court Branch 10 as the petitioners failed to convince that the modernization project can affect their livelihood and security.

Market Administrator Raquel Arce, on the other hand, assured safety for the vendors in the interim market.

“Naa man gyuy mga tawo nga sirado gyud ang huna-huna alang sa kausaban pero kung magpermanente lang ta ana magpadayon ang inyong sitwasyon karon kung unsa man ang sitwasyon ninyo karon wala gyud tay mapadulngan, wala gyud tay kausaban, ang ako lang ug ikasaad ninyo ari ta sa development sa atong merkado unya naa gihapon ang City Government,” said Arce.

Arce added that those who were involved in the protest are the ones who did not join the meetings set earlier, which is why they do not know the details of the issue on the transfer. — Decemay P. Padilla, GMR (FREEMAN)