‘Pay or vacate’
Bacolod market committee bucks moving deadline of arrears settlement
BACOLOD City – The Local Market Committee ( LMC) of this city did not grant the request of market vendors for another extension to settle their arrears.
On Jan. 15, some members of the Burgos Market Fish Vendors Association (BMFVA) submitted to the office of Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on markets chair and LMC member Councilor Celia Flor a letter asking her to reconsider their request.
Part of the letter stated, “Nagapangayo kami sang additional nga six months para bayran namun ang utang namun sa sini nga tuig antes kami nga e- transfer sa temporary nga merkado. Kag kon may ara nga indi pa gid makabayad kamo na ang mag-desisyon kon ano ang himoon,”
“Nagapangayo kami sang pasaylo sa amon obligasyon sa indi pagimpas sa ginkasugtan nga amount sa kada stall nga amon gina- occupy sa sulod sang fish section sa gintalana nga date,” the letter added.
The lapsed deadline was set for Dec. 31, 2023.
City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr., also a member of the LMC, said the majority of the committee has agreed through voting not to give f urther extensions. He reasoned that prior extensions given have added up to almost a year.
Last week, the city sent them a notice to settle their accounts.
Ting said more than a hundred fish vendors were notified by the city, but only about 20 percent have paid in full. Some continue paying, while others have not yet settled.
Those unable to settle their payments will be forced by the city to vacate their stalls this coming Jan. 31, he added.
Vacated stalls, meanwhile, will be offered to those who are willing to pay.
The average arrears of fish vendors amount to P16,000, according to BMFVA secretary Carmelo Lacson, Jr./