MOD conducts a dialogue with the second batch of Unit II vendors who will be relocated for the clearing operations and renovation of a portion of the Carbon Public Market. | Photo courtesy of MOD
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Market Operations Division (MOD) is already preparing another 20 vendors from the Carbon Unit II for relocation for the fixing of the stalls.
On September 21, 2021, the MOD met with the second batch of vendors whose stalls will be cleared and fixed in the next two weeks.
The MOD was under fire the past week due to their clearing operations in Sitio Lavo Seaside, which some vendors resisted and even called inhumane.
However, MOD Head Irvin Cabales said the vendors were informed two months ahead of the clearing operations. This time, they met with the second batch of vendors to ensure they understand the operations and assured them that they can go back to the stalls after the repairs.
“Ipuli nato sila sa katong giuna natog relocate. Supposedly nahuman naman unta tong first batch nga stalls pag Sunday pero naa man guy nisupak mao na nadelay ang uban. Hopefully makasugod na ta sa second batch,” said Cabales.
The fixing of the stalls is necessary because the interim market will serve as the home of the vendors for the next two years while the new Carbon Market is being constructed at the Freedom Park and Warwicks Barracks.
Cabales emphasized that the vendors will be provided relocation while the stalls are being fixed and if there is no resistance, the stalls will be fixed within a week tops.
He said the vendors also suggested some changes on the stalls and he assured them that these will be implemented.
The MOD also continues to hold dialogues with the vendors because factions of the vendor groups continue to resist the Carbon Modernization program the city government undertook with Megawide Construction Corp.
“Mga 90 percent sa vendors naman ang nisupporta sa Carbon Modernization project mao na makaingon ko nga wala gyod silay basehan nga daghan ni against. Nagmonitor mi if nidaghan ba ang vendors nga niapil sa rallies, same raman gihapon. Daghan taga gawas ang niapil hinuon,” he said.
Consequently, some of the vendors took to the streets on the anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law by late President Ferdinand Marcos, a start of what most consider as the darkest part in the country’s history.
The vendors claimed that the modernization project was disadvantageous to the city and echoed the cases recently filed at the court and Ombudsman that the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) must be detracted.
Yet for MOD, if the majority of the vendors truly do not agree with the project, then all of them would have manifested so. However, many of the vendors have already accepted their stall certificates.
Cabales said that MOD will continue to listen to the vendors if they air out their concerns to the city government just like what has been done before.
“Kato bitawng ten ka requests nila sauna, natuman man ang nine ato. Ang usa nalang ang wala. I am confident to say nga majority sa vendors nisuporta sa modernization,” Cabales said. /rcg
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