THE market vendors in Bacolod City will now have a chance to own the market stalls they are occupying in the public markets.
Councilor Bartolome Orola, chairperson of the City Council committee on markets, said on Wednesday, February 6, that he already submitted the approved amended City Ordinance (CO) 541, Series of 2011 to the office Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the signature.
He said they amended Section 2 of CO 541, allowing for the transfer of awards to the present market block or stall occupants.
“The amended ordinance will bring legitimacy to market vendors
who are in possession of stalls, tables, and blocks in the public market,” he added.
Orola noted that for many years, there are market vendors who are not legitimate owners of the stalls they are occupying.
“But finally, after we deliberated the century old problem, the City Council approved the proposed amended ordinance on third and final reading last month,” Orola said.
He said the illegal transfer or sub-leasing has been ongoing in the public markets for so long, and as a way to rectify this situation, CO 541 aimed to straighten out the record of market leases and to put a stop to the illegal transferring and sub-leasing of market block or stall.
He added that most vendors who were not the original awardee but are currently occupying the stalls, suffer needlessly and upon the whims of the original awardees who sub-leasing their blocks or stalls in circumvention of the provision of the Local Market Code.
Orola recalled that in 2013, several market block or stall occupants of the public markets of the city had requested to extend Section 2 of CO 541, which is the acceptance of the application for transfer of awards, which resulted to the passage of the CO No. 642.
Orola disclosed that this approved amended ordinance will be a new life and a new hope for the market vendors. (MAP)