Farmers’ market opens in Mambaling, near the access road to the South Road Properties. (CDN PHOTO/ CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
When Elizabeth Espinosa heard about a farmers’ market being opened near the South Road Properties (SRP), she grabbed the opportunity.
Espinosa, 48, and her husband have been bringing her family’s farm products from the mountain barangay of Taptap in Cebu City to the Carbon Market.
“Maglisod gyud mi didto sa Carbon kay daghan kaayo mi’g bayranan nya naa pa jud daghan mangawat (It’s difficult for us there in Carbon because there are a lot of fees and there are also incidents of theft),” Espinosa told Cebu Daily News.
She is one of more than 20 farmers currently selling their produce directly to the public in the Farmers’ Market livelihood project by former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña in barangay Mambaling, near the access road going to the SRP.
The project was launched yesterday, after four weeks of operation, in time for Osmeña’s 67th birthday.
The farmers gave Osmeña a birthday cake. Banners of birthday greetings for both Tomas and wife Margot were displayed together with flags of blue and yellow.
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Osmeña’s guests were Cebu Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide III and some Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) city councilors. BO-PK is allied with the government-backed Liberal Party, which is headed by Davide in the province.
Most of the farmers are from the mountain barangays of Cebu City.
A few are from the municipality of Argao in southern Cebu.
The farmers pay P100 per stall to the management headed by Joelling Lazarte for maintenance and security.
“Mas maayo diri kay safe among paninda unya way daghan bayranan (It’s better for us here because our products are safe and there aren’t a lot of fees),” Espinosa said. In Carbon, they have to pay P20 per basket of vegetables. In a day, they’d have to pay almost P200 on top of other fees for transport and other permits.
The Farmers’ Market, which is patterned after the market in Sariaya town in Quezon province, is open only on weekends, from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. or until supplies last.
The market is situated on a private lot owned by the family of Vincent and Ivan Go. Osmeña said he will negotiate with the owner of the property across the street for the market’s expansion.
He said the market was set up to help farmers earn more and, at the same time, bring prices of farm products down.
Fresh fruits and vegetables there are at least 30 percent cheaper than those sold in malls and grocery stores and even in Carbon Market.
Bananas are sold for only P30 a kilo while mangoes may be bought at P40 per kilo compared to the P50-per-kilo price in Carbon.
Avocado is only P25 per kilo (P30 in Carbon) while sayote is P8 per piece (P12 to P15 apiece in Carbon).
“We are starting this just to get the farmers involved. And it’s more than successful. It will even be more successful in the future because we are going to introduce semi-wholesale prices, which is one sack of five kilos,” Osmeña said.
“So if you want to buy one sack, five kilos of repolyo, you will get it at 30 percent cheaper than in Savemore or Gaisano. If you will order in advance, maybe 35 or 40 percent (cheaper),” he added.
To critics who believe politics is behind the establishment of the market, Osmeña said what he’s doing is “good politics.” Osmeña has announced his plan to challenge the reelection bid of Mayor Michael Rama next year.
“Of course (there is politics). That’s why hadlok gyud sila (they’re scared). That’s why they want to crack down on me. But there is good and bad politics. Good politics is good service,” he said.
“Pero ang ila, mo-hassle sila, they will intimidate you, they will terrorize you, they will demolish you. That’s bad politics,” he said.
City Hall earlier directed the Osmeña camp to secure a permit for the market.
A certain Michael Vincent Labra applied for a business permit last week.