MANY netizens, mostly students of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), were saddened by the demolition of stalls in Freedom Park and Warwick Barracks to give way to the ongoing development in the area done by Megawide Construction Corp., the main proponent of the modernization of Carbon Public Market.
A USJ-R graduate and former reporter of CDN Digital posted on her Facebook account: "Hoy, ka-sad! Their sisig (10), rice (5), and free sabaw for lunch helped me survive college!"
"Naanad ko atong college ko nga manihapon gyod sa Freedom Park kay atbang ra sa San Jose. Tag tres nga puso og tag 15 nga chicken, payts na kaayo. Sad nga other USJ-R students will no longer experience the affordable food nga gioffer sa Carbon. It's an end of an era," another USJ-R graduate Delta Dyrecka Letigio said.
"Gehigugma ko ang mga Lolo ug Lola, Tiya ug Tiyo, mga Kargador, mga Tindera, mga nag negosyo, mga manindahay ug dahon ug bulak, mga lamian nga karenderia. Ako ug ang tibuok kung pamilya naka survive tungod sa Carbon ug sa Freedom Park! Unta hatagan og maayo nga luna ug dili pasagdan ang mga katawhan nga nag dependi sa tanang barato nga palaliton," said Gaylord Aves in his post.
Meanwhile, the demolition of stalls situated outside Carbon Market’s Unit 2 began on Friday, July 15, with more than 5,000 stall owners and sidewalk vendors expected to be affected, said Cebu Market Vendors Multipurpose Cooperative president Erwin Goc-ong said on Tuesday, July 19.
According to Goc-ong, all the vendors support the modernization plan, but they are not in favor of the privatization of the public market.
Goc-ong said there are already vendors in the market who are considering other livelihood options as they anticipate incurring losses in their new area in the interim market.
Though no exact figures were given to them, Goc-ong said the privatization would lead to an increase in their stall rental.
The rent increase will also result in additional prices for their products since the cost of operating a business will now be higher, he added.
Goc-ong also said not all of the affected vendors in the old market will have a stall or area in the interim market. (TPT)