Flower vendors moving to new location today

ABOUT 18 flower vendors at the Bacolod public plaza will transfer their stalls today at the new location, behind the Bacolod Arts and Youth Sports (Bays) Center in Bacolod City.

Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, head of market coordinating and monitoring task force, said yesterday the flower vendors will voluntarily transfer their stalls to the new site.

He said the president of the flower vendors had earlier asked for an extension to transfer their stalls today instead of November 10.

“They were already given enough time to transfer their stalls and by Sunday, all of them should clear the public plaza,” he added.

On Wednesday, Pineda held a meeting with the flower vendors and it was agreed that they will voluntarily remove their stalls at the public plaza.

The flower vendors are occupying 18 stalls at the plaza, and they are giving donations to the Bacolod Diocese, which owns the portion of public plaza occupied by the vendors, at P50 per day.

Pineda said the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) constructed the stalls behind the Bays Center and it will be distributed to the flower vendors.

“They are asking the city to award to them the units so they can process a business permit,” he said.

The flower vendors were tasked to secure their power connections so they will have their own meter or electrical bill, and the city is also planning to construct a comfort room in the area so they will not use the comfort room inside the Bays Center.

Pineda disclosed the city government will also allow the flower vendors to develop their stalls, but it should be in a uniform design or construction of their units.

City administrator John Orola earlier said that once they transferred to the designated site, the city will also start the rehabilitation of the public plaza.*