A group of public market vendors asked for reprieve from the hefty increases on rental fees for their stalls.
Rogelio Arañez Sr., the president of the Calinan Public Market Vendors Association, along with almost a hundred members who affixed their signatures, addressed the request letter to City Administrator Zuleika Lopez.
Arañez, in the letter, said the City Economic Enterprise Office has reclassified the Calinan Public Market as a Class A public market that will increase the market stall rental of almost 100% from the current rate. The new rate took effect on Oct. 1.
According to the group, they want to retain the current classification of the market to Class C.
“We recognize that it is our duty to pay the appropriate market stall rental rate, further, we are doing our best to pay such obligations and we don’t have any intention to evade it,” said Arañez.
“The reclassification will cause an upsurge of rentals that is too much for us to bear and we cannot afford it,”he added.
Arañez also described that they are only small time vendors and earn a small income that is only enough for their daily living. “Aside from monthly rental payments, we have also several expenses like stall improvements and maintenance,” Arañez pointed out.
He also mentioned that their income have not increased for some time because they are surrounded by big business establishments located near the public market, which affect their sales.
In their meeting on Sept. 23, Editha Midoy, a member of the association, said the Calinan Public Market should not be reclassified to Class A because not everyone has high income.
“Some have fewer sales and most of our customers are mere laborers or small farmers. We only have really small profits,” said Midoy.
Carlos Mingoy, another member, said the increase in stall rentals may reach up to P17,000 monthly.
Earlier this month, the group of vendors from Mintal Public market has also appealed to the city government to reconsider the proposed 400% increase of the market stall rental.
