GAPAN CITY – Officers and members of the 500-strong market vendors association here filed a petition before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to block the ratification of an ordinance allowing the increase of fees in market stalls and spaces.
Adelina Roque, president of the Gapan City Market Vendors Association, said they appealed to the SP to block the ratification of city ordinance No. 2 series of 2008.
The measure, “an ordinance regulating the establishment, classification, administration and operation of government owned/operated public markets in the local government of Gapan,” was approved by the city council, presided by Vice Mayor Christian Tinio and approved by Mayor Ernesto Natividad.
Otherwise known as Market Code of Gapan, the ordinance explains that the “on- going and future development projects for the improvement and expansion of existing city owned, controlled or operated public markets are designed to promote and improve the capabilities of the local government to deliver desired public services, and to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of vendors and the buying public.”
Such goals, the council reasons out: “that can only be achieved if the administration of the city markets is improved or streamlined” and the “incomes from the operations thereof are made more realistic.”
But Roque’s group claimed there was no public hearing for the measure. The group said “this violated the Article 276 of the implementing rules and regulations of the Local Government Code.”
The old public market of Gapan City was razed by fire on Aug. 12, 2007. It was rebuilt through a bank loan reportedly amounting to P328 million.
Roque said under the recently approved ordinance, vendors are asked to pay P17,000 to P22,000 per square meter for the wet section and P22,000 to P27,000 per square meter for the enclosed stalls.
They asked the fees for the wet section be placed at only P5,000 per square meter and P10,000 for the enclosed stalls.
“Kung ang mga nasunugang tindera ng palengke ay nasa isipan at puso ng mga bumabalangkas ng Market Code, di sana ay dapat binigyan man lamang ng representasyon ang pamunuan ng asosasyon,” the vendors stressed in an open letter.
