Monday, October 06, 2008 Tension at public market By Ian Ocampo Flora
ANGELES CITY -- Fish vendors of Pampang Public Market here expressed opposition over the move of the City Government to renovate their stalls, which resulted in a temporary gridlock between the vendors and City Hall employees.
Around 40 fish vendors trooped to the fish section of the public market recently after City Hall enforced the alleged order of Mayor Francis Nepomuceno to start renovation and rehabilitation works at the said section of the market.
Tess Maniacup, leader of the public market association here, said they asked the City Hall to defer the rehabilitation works until next month. She also decried the lack of an enabling ordinance and the non-serving of a notice for them to have ample time to vacate their stalls.
Maniacup and other fish vendors earlier sought the help of the City Council, but to no avail.
Last Tuesday afternoon, City Hall employees and dozens of policemen led by Chief Inspector Roger Tomen proceeded to fence the said area of the public market.
The fish vendors staged their protest, along with Vice Mayor Vicky Vega Cabigting and minority Councilors Maricel Morales and Jay Sangil, among others.
But for Tomen and the City Hall workers, the order for the renovation of the stalls has long been shelved because of the opposition of the fish vendors. He explained that the fish vendors would be given a temporary relocation site along the east side of the public market.
"The city wants this area to fit sanitation standards," Tomen said as he pointed to the drainage area and the poor state of the concrete stalls, which cater to some 100 fish vendors.
In a separate interview with Nepomuceno, he said "a little sacrifice" is all it takes to make the fish market area more conducive to buyers.
"If we don't do this now, then when? We need to sacrifice a little," Nepomuceno said assuring that the project will be completed in 22 days.
But for Maniacup, the plan lacked the necessary consultation. She also said the rumors that they would be asked to pay for the renovated stalls must be answered by the City Hall.
Ligaya Guzman, 54, a fish vendor here, said the temporary relocation stalls were small and not within the direction of customers who frequent the public market.
She added that most of the vendors have been hearing talks of additional payments and other would-be payments after the renovation.
