SIDEWALK vendors relocated to the Bankerohan Public Market complained over reduced sales a month after they were forcibly evacuated from the sidewalks to decongest the streets.
On June 1, sidewalk vendors from Marfori Street, Datu Bago Street, and Rasay Street were transferred to the main public market. On the same day, stalls of kakanin, fruits, and vegetable vendors who used to display items on Posadas Street were demolished.
In May, the City Economic Enterprise (CEE) identified 406 vacant stalls in the public market and 76 on the second-floor- fish section to cater to displaced vendors.
CEE head Maximo Macalipes on May also assured the transfer won’t affect sales of vendors as signages leading to the main public market will be placed.
A tarpaulin is displayed on Posadas Street to announce the vendors were transferred to the second floor of the fish section.
However, TIMES checked the second-floor market building on July 5 and only five vendors were present, and the rest of the slots remained unoccupied.
Maryjean Dionisio, a pineapple vendor, said her family has been using their slot on the second floor only to store and prepare the fruits to be sold on the sidewalk.
Maryjean shared that before they were relocated, they used to earn P7,000 daily. However, when the new system was put in place, their income nose-dived to P1,000.
“Sa gawas na lang mi nagadisplay, sa kilid rapud sa manokan (Posadas street), kay wala may mosaka diri,” she stressed the marketgoers would not go to their stalls upstairs due to the distance.
Marketgoers climb 20 flights of stairs to the second floor, which would be too much for their clients who are mostly the elderly.
Raul Peñaranda, a kakanin (native treats) vendor, said they have not tried to display food in their two rented stalls. He said that based on his experience, they would not reach a break-even point.
Raul shared they have sold kakanin since the 1990s on the street near the market, and would net around P1,500 daily. However, after the demolition, their daily income is enough to buy rice.
Each stall on the second floor measures 3×3 square meters and costs about P900 monthly in rent.
“Ang problema diri naay kabutangan, pero walay mga tao. Ang ginahimo namo diri butanganan sa mga gamit, hakot na lang kada adlaw,” he said.
Bonifacio Pawin, a buko juice vendor, told TIMES that after a month since his stall in Posadas was demolished, it had been difficult to earn a stable income daily.
“Within one month, naobserbahan nako nagka-utang-utang jud ko kay unsa may mapakaon nato sa atong mga anak kay kumbaga wa man tay tarung source,” Bonifacio shared.
He tried to display his goods on the second floor once but only netted P200 compared to P700 per jug when he sold it in the street. He recalled he could sell out four jugs daily, net around P1,000-P2,000 daily.
Bonifacio questioned their placement on the second floor and attested his stall in Posadas was never illegal, as they paid about P2,000 per month.
“Maninda ka sa kalsada, abogon ka; diri ka sa taas maninda, samot patay ka. Nganong gi-ingani man mi, nga samantala wala man mi nangawat,” he said.
Bonifacio shared the same struggle with the rest of the vendors as they have to always be on watch against the demolition team raiding the streets.
On Friday, a demolition team on board a truck was seen parading Posadas streets to rid of the vendors. They did not confiscate the vendor’s items
When the vehicle nears the street, a vendor told TIMES that anyone who first saw the truck would alert the others.
Jaen Cobing, appointed spokesperson of the Posadas vendors, said this became their daily routine after the streets were cleared on June 1. The clearing team from the Ancillary Services Unit (ASU) comes to the area 3-4 times daily,
“Kung dili mi molaray diri unsay among ibayad?,” she said, worried they won’t be able to pay the P960 rent for her stall due on July 20.
Posadas Street used to be littered with stalls for kakanin, fruits, and vegetables but the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) relocated the vendors to ease traffic flow and turn the area into public pay-parking.
Jaen, with other former Posadas vendors, occupied the streets again despite the existing order, along with parked motorcycles. She loads her kakanin products in a makeshift cart with wheels for easy escape once the clearing team is in sight.
Before the demolition, she would net around P5,000-P6,000, compared to P2,000 at present.
“Mohangyo na lang gyud mi nga kung di man mi mabalik diri nga pwesto, pasagdan na lang gyud mi nga molaray [even a specific period],” she stressed.
Bankerohan had the highest income among the different public markets amounting to P57,911,529, based on the CEE Collection Performance Report 2023.
