A happy fiesta celebration for candle vendors

A little more than 200 candle vendors were fed by a company manufacturing meat can goods through the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council in Mandaue City chaired by Vice-Mayor Carlo Fortuna./ Norman Mendoza

Candle vendors at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City were pleasantly surprised yesterday morning when they were given food by the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC) chaired by Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna.

One of the vendors said this is the first time they were given this kind of attention by the Mandaue City government.

“Dalaga pa ko namaligya nako og kandila, karon pa sab ko nakasulay ani nga gihatagan mi og pagtagad sa gobyerno sa Mandaue,” said 65-year-old Leliosa Tariao.

(I was still single when I started selling candles. But this us the first time we have experienced being given attention by the Mandaue City government.)

The TIPC, in partnership with Sunpride Foods, gave 200 vendors food packs and canned goods as part of the fiesta celebration of Mandaue City in honor of St. Joseph the Worker.

Fortuna said as part of the fiesta activities, candle vendors who have long been making a living at the church grounds were the ones given attention.

He said they prepared 200 tickets which were distributed to the vendors at the City Hall grounds. The beneficiaries were chosen by the TIPC.

Sunpride Foods, as part of their corporate social responsibility, provided the packed meals.

Tariao and the other candle vendors thanked the city government and greeted Fortuna and the Sunpride Foods crew a happy fiesta.

The Mandaue City government has long been providing a place for candle vendors who troop to the Shrine of St. Joseph during the fiesta, a temporary place to stay, which is at the Heritage Plaza stage every year.

Fortuna said this may once again be part of the activities of the fiesta celebration.

“Ang TIPC maoy gitahasan sa pag-select kinsa ang pilion nga mga beneficiary og nakahuna-huna ko nga kining mga candle vendors, kay maluoy ko nila ilabi na mga tigulang nga nanginabuhi lang gihapon,” said Fortuna.

(The TIPC had been tasked to select the beneficiaries, and I thought of the candle vendors especially the elderly who are still plying a living despite their age.)