The City Council has denied the request of the Bunawan Public Market transient vendors to suspend the increase of rental fees.
In a letter addressed to Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang last March 25, Bunawan transient vendors Elsie Molina, Marita Maestre, Ma. Ana Tomadno, and Gloria Arnejo requested for the suspension of the increase in rental fees.
“Our income is not stable and is just enough to feed us thrice a day and pay for the rental fee,” they said in the letter.
According to the vendors, the increase to P2 per square meter compared to the previous P1 per square meter is “too much for (them) to bear.”
In the committee hearing last July 15, Molina proposed that they would be amenable to the said increase if they would be allowed to put up any business in the rented stalls such as rice retailing, beauty parlor, coffee shops and water vending.
However, among those businesses, only the rice retailing has a license.
Nancy Violan, Bunawan Public Market supervisor, said no increase was implemented since 2013 so “it’s high time for the government to impose such increase.”
Violan added that transient vendors have increased their occupied spaces resulting to more fees.
“The previous occupied was 11.5 square meter, however, after evaluating last February, it was found out that the area had increased to 22.77 sqm,” Violan said as an example.
She further recommended that reducing their rented spaces will also reduce their rental fees.
Dayanghirang, chair of the Council committee on finance, ways & means, and appropriations, adopted the recommendation of the Market Committee but requested to help and guide the transient vendors to abide with the existing Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Market Code.
