Market vendors told not to change stall designs

BAGUIO City public market vendors were recently reproached by City Government officials for altering designs of their stalls despite prohibitions in their contracts.

Engineer Oscar Flores, City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) department head, told the Council last Monday that several vendors in the sari-sari section of the public market violated their lease contracts by constructing bodegas and upper metal covers in the portion of the stalls intended for ventilation.

The lease contract signed by market vendors emphasized alterations or improvements on stalls must first be approved by the CBAO.

The City Government, he said, is bound to demolish and sequester these alterations once lessees will not demolish these extensions.

He also added market stall lessees should not construct extensions and mezzanines or input of any kind without approval of the CBAO.

Flores said the structure in the upper portion of the sari-sari section stalls are intended for natural air and light to enter as it complements the design of the entire section of the market.

He also added the upper portion of the stalls must be free of obstructions to provide ample ventilation as well as prevent the breeding of rodents.

But monitoring by CBAO and the Baguio Fire Department showed several lessees have already occupied the upper portion of their stalls by coming up with a second floor and stockrooms above their display areas.

Baguio Fire marshal Joe Fernand Bangyod said these extensions are mostly made of fire hazard materials while stocks placed in the extensions are mostly flammable such as boxes and packaging materials.

Bangyod said once the upper portions are enclosed, heat will be trapped inside the stalls.

However, vendors, led by Angela Leyco and Ernestina Gajes, said the upper portion of their stalls do not contribute significantly to the ventilation.

Leyco said the sari-sari section of the market since its renovation is one of the cleanest sections of the public market and stressed enclosures are not fire hazards.

She said they built the enclosures to stock on supplies good for at least two to three weeks to save up on transportation costs.

The market vendors added that their two to three week stocks help decongest traffic in front of the public market as delivery trucks do not deliver supplies on a daily basis.

Councilors after hearing the stand of the vendors and concerned government officials tasked the Committee on Market Trade and Commerce to come up with a report to resolve issues on the enclosures.

The CBAO, fire department and vendors were likewise required to submit their reports to the committee for further evaluation and action. (JM Agreda)