• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The rule of succession over rights to stalls in the markets of Bacolod is being eyed for abolition, as around 90 percent of the actual occupants are no longer the original awardees, a city councilor said.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod adopted the initial report of the Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, chaired by Councilor Celia Matea Flor, who is eyeing to amend Section 18 of the Revised Market Code of Bacolod, or City Ordinance 160-1996, as amended.
Flor earlier initiated a committee hearing attended by representatives from the Local Market Committee, specifically City Administrator’s Office, City Legal Office, and City Treasurer’s Office, as well as the market supervisors, and officers of various vendors’ associations.
She said the amendatory ordinance seeks to correct the documentation in the three markets as well as determine the actual current situation in the local markets.
Under the proposed ordinance, the actual occupants will be given priority over the stalls, booths, blocks, or tables that they are occupying, since they will also “assume the arrears and other mandatory fees incurred for that space.”
Flor told her colleagues during the recent SP session that the rule of succession over the market stalls has been abused, as many stalls or rights have been sold, sublet, or rented out over the years, and the original awardees or their heirs are no longer the actual occupants.
She said she will wait for other vendors’ associations to submit their position papers regarding her proposed amendatory ordinance as only those from Burgos Market have done so, so far.
“Overall, there was positive feedback to the amendatory ordinance as most of the actual occupants have been occupying for decades, yet the documents and permits for their stalls/booths/tables are not under their names, but under the original awardees, who no longer do business in the markets,” Flor stressed. | CGC
