A BAN on cooking on site at the Harrison night market is still in effect.

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said cooking was allowed for vendors of the night market only during the Baguio Flower Festival because the Ganza parking lot was used as a trade fair site.

Domogan said the ban on cooking resumed after the festival. He stressed that violators will be stripped of their privilege to sell in the area.

Domogan, who heads the Baguio City Market Authority, is adamant on the ban of cooking and re-heating food at the night market, citing standards set by the health department.

Health experts were urged to ban cooking in the area because of concerns over unsanitary handling and improper waste disposal on site.

Domogan said the Public Order and Security Department (POSD) is in charge of keeping the road free from cooking nightly.

Previously, Councilor Leandro Yangot moved for the transfer of the night market to 1st, 2nd and 3rd areas of Kayang Street in a bid to decongest Harrison Road of traffic.

The Harrison night market provides livelihood and employment to about 1,068 night market vendors.

The city is earning approximately P1.5 million per month without much capital which operates from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

It was also proposed in the past for food vendors to use the Ganza parking for cooking and selling food, saying there is running water in the area and enough space to accommodate the vendors but this was rejected.