• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, said the city’s Local Market Committee (LMC) agreed to give delinquent vendors in Burgos Market until March 31 to fully settle their obligations.
But the City Legal Office (CLO) and the City Treasurer’s Office told these vendors that each should initially pay at least P5,000 to avail of the three-month extension, Flor, also a member of the LMC, told her colleagues during the SP session Jan. 31.
The Burgos Ramos Vendors Association (BURVA) and the Burgos Market Fish Vendors Association (BMFVA) wrote a letter-appeal to the SP after the LMC denied their appeal for extension.
Flor said the appeal that was denied was for a six-month extension. She said that during the latest meeting with the vendors, the LMC decided to give these vendors until March 31 to fully settle their debts, but only if they pay an initial P5,000 each out of their respective total obligation.
About 41 vendors under the BMFVA have unpaid rents ranging from P5,000 to P16,000, and from P8,000 to about P24,000 for 57 BURVA members.
In their letter-appeal, the vendors said “We recognize that we have a fault on our side to settle as what has been agreed upon…because of the losses and small customers these past months, we are not able to meet our needs.”
“We are once again requesting…to extend the deadline for another three months to settle our delinquency, and if we cannot comply, we don’t have any reason to stay, we will voluntarily vacate our stall(s),” the vendors, represented by Lucelyn De La Paz, president of the Federation of Bacolod City Vendors’ Association, said in letters received by the offices of Flor and Mayor Alfredo Benitez Jan. 22.
CLO head, Atty. Romeo Carlos Ting Jr., sent notices to concerned vendors “to settle your delinquency within 10 days from receipt of this final demand. Failure on your end…will result to the cancellation of your lease rights and ejectment”, pursuant to sections 14 and 46 of City Ordinance No. 160, series of 1996, or the Revised Market Code of Bacolod City.
The vendors were initially given until Jan. 31 to fully settle their arrears. | CGC
