THE affected sidewalk vendors at the downtown area in Bacolod City are appealing to the City Government officials to address their problems at the Bacolod Vendors Plaza.
Marites Lee, president of Bacolod Gatuslao Vendors Association (BGVA), said yesterday it’s hard for them to sell their products at the Vendors Plaza because there were no customers in the area.
“Since we transferred here on Monday, we’re not earning because of our poor situation here. We do not have comfort room (CR) and water here, if you want to use CR you need to pay P5 to the resident in Barangay 10,” she said.
She added most of the BGVA members were already in the area because the city government also warned them that if they will not occupy their space it will be provided to other vendors.
Lee said they are hopeful that the city government will check their situation inside the Vendors Plaza.
“The city should develop the Vendors Plaza first before we will use it and the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) should also start the traffic rerouting or to open the terminal in the area. We don’t have customer here so how can we support our family. If there’s a chance we want to go back at the downtown area,” she said.
Other vendors association at the downtown area are Luzuriaga, Gastuslao Vendors Association (LGVA), Bacolod Vendors Association (BVA).
Lee recalled that in 2004, they were also transferred in Vendors Plaza, but they were forced to return at the downtown area because only few people buy in the area.
Lee said they will hold a meeting with their members so that they can air their sentiments to President Rodrigo Duterte.
She said they are hopeful that President Duterte will consider their situation and allow them to occupy a small area downtown.
Leonisa Elbabuena, 62, a member of BGVA, said that since they transferred their stalls at Bacolod Vendors Plaza, they are not earning to sustain their families.
“It’s a very sad situation for us. We have families to support, we need to send our children to schools. But, how can we survive since there’s no customer here at Vendors Plaza,” she said.
Elbabuena, who sells dry goods, was one of the sidewalk vendors who voluntarily removed her stall at the downtown area last week and agreed to transfer it at the Vendors Plaza.
“We are not earning here because there are no costumers. We are praying that President Duterte will consider our situation. If they want to address the traffic, they should clear the illegal structures in roads and not us who are only selling at the sidewalk,” Elbanuena said.
She said they are hopeful that the city government will give them a little consideration to allow them to occupy even a small space in the sidewalk so they can display their products.
Wenifredo Rama, 52, a fruit vendor, also aired the same sentiment. They agreed to transfer inside the Vendors Plaza so they can continue to sell fruits.
“We are no longer allowed at the downtown area so we do not have a choice we need to leave the area, but we are only asking the city government to provide us a comfort room here and to address the bad odor inside the Vendors Plaza,” he said.
Rama added that since they transferred at the Vendors Plaza, they are only earning P1,000 a day unlike in the downtown area that they earned P5, 000 a day.
Rama also urged the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) to open soon the terminal near the Vendors Plaza so that people will also patronize their products inside the Vendors Plaza.
For his part, Jonah Abao, supervisor of Libertad Public Market and sidewalk vendors, said they raffled the names of about 380 affected vendors so they have a specific area inside the Vendors Plaza.
“If they fail to occupy their space for five to seven days, their space will be given to other interested vendors. We also regulate them inside the Vendors Plaza by sectioning and we will disallow the residents of Barangay 12 to display their dried fish in the area. We prioritized the sidewalk vendors here,” he said.
He added the city already activated the water supply inside the Vendors Plaza including the comfort room.
Abao noted the city government has allotted P25 million to develop and improve the Vendors Plaza.
Abao also asked the cooperation of the sidewalk vendors to finish the rehabilitation of the Vendors Plaza.