Cebu City’s night market vendors warned: Don’t sell stalls or else …

Vendors display their wares at the Night Market in Colon Street, Cebu City on this December 3 photo.| Gerard Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Market Authority warned the night market vendors against selling their stalls.

Jonil Matuguina, Cebu City Market Authority head, said they had received reports of some vendors selling their stalls to private vendors for P15,000 to P20,000 per month.

This is at least 12.5 times more than the monthly lease on the stalls collected by the city government and the barangays amounting to P1,200. 

The city government collects P20 from stall owners per night while the barangay also charge them an additional P20.

The vendors will have to pay their own electric bill as well and will help clean up the place every night.

Read more: 500 vendors to join night market in Colon as it reopens on Nov. 29

Matuguina said they had yet to verify who among the vendors had been selling their spots to private vendors, adding that the news was already disappointing in itself.

“The mayor said he did not want anyone to take advantage of the night market, yet the vendors themselves are selling their spots,” he said.

Matuguina said they would be doing the rounds at the night market on Tuesday evening, December 10, 2019, to check all stalls if they were being occupied by the duly registered vendor.

The night market  covers a stretch of Colon from corner Mabini Street in Barangay Parian to corner Legaspi Street in Barangay Sto. Niño. Vendors start selling their wares from 6:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. daily.

Read more: Mayor Labella to allow resumption of night market starting December 1

He said other vendors were not allowed to sell at the night market because the market was established for the displaced vendors during the clearing of street and sidewalk vendors on October 2019.

“Ang mga vendors gitagaan og higayon mamaligya sa night market. Dili unta nila abusaran. (The vendors were given a chance to sell at the night market. They should not abuse it),” he said. 

Read more: Continuation of Colon Night Market to be assessed in February 2020

All the stalls whose vendors are not registered to the city will be shut down, while the vendors proven to have sold their spots will no longer be allowed to sell at the night market. 

The stalls and goods of erring vendors will also be confiscated. 

Matuguina encouraged the vendors to stop taking advantage of the night market, but instead enjoy the opportunity to sell again, lest it be taken away from them. 

The night market is only a temporary solution for the displaced vendors, and the program will be assessed on February for its functionality, he said./dbs