THE Davao City Government is looking into the possibility of expanding the night market in the city to give opportunities to more small vendors.
Davao City Councilor Bernie Al-ag, City council committee chairperson on trade, commerce, and industry, said in an interview on November 29, 2022 at the Sangguniang Panlungsod that the city government is set to open a night market in Toril Public Market in December 2022 and is eyeing to open night markets along the Old Davao Airport Road, in Mintal, Calinan, Lasang, Bunawan, and Cabantian area.
He said as they expand the night market operations in the city, they will be blacklisting vendors who will be selling their slots.
“Under sa atong provision, dili na sila makabaligya ever sa night market kung himoon nila (Under the provision, they will no longer be allowed to sell in our night market),” Al-ag said.
Al-ag said they are now inspecting sellers at the night market to ensure that the awardees are not selling their slots.
“Because this business proposal is para ni sa mga gagmay nga negosyante (this is meant for those small time vendors),” he said.
According to the city ordinance, there are two types of awardees who will be allowed to sell at the night market – regular awardees and reserve awardees.
Regular awardees are those who have submitted an application and have been selected through raffling.
While the reserve awardees are those additional persons selected during raffling if in case the number of regular awardees is insufficient to fill the stalls due to withdrawal, incapacity, disqualification, or eviction because of revocation of award.
Also, he called on businessmen to not abuse the program.
“Don’t take advantage of this program. Atoang tagaan og panahon ug opportunity ang katong gagmay kaayo nga vendors, nga mag-income sila, else dili namo maka-apil aning night-market (Let’s give opportunity to the small vendors to make an income. If you abuse this program, you will not be part of the night market anymore),” Al-ag said.
On November 29, 2022, the city government of Davao approved in the third and final reading a city ordinance to expand the night market in different parts of the city. KSD