BAGUIO CITY September 14 – Concerned night market vendors want the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) to reconsider the passage of Resolution No. 12-2016 that prescribes the new rules for the operation of the night market to incorporate their suggestions and recommendations.
In a petition addressed to the BCMA, the various associations proposed a night market and a Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) representative should be part of the screening process to make sure applicants go through the proper procedure that will avoid biases and favoritism.
The petition added if a night market vendor cannot assign a family member or any relative to be his or her replacement, then the vacant slot shall be given to walk-in vendors. They also asked that the replacement fee for lost vending identification card should only be P50 because the P300 replacement fee provided in the new rules is excessive.
Further, the vendors claimed immediate family members within the first degree of affinity or consanguinity, including common-law spouses, for those who are not legally married but certified as living under one roof as husband and wife, may become an alternate on no-expiration status if the registered vendor will still sell at least two to three days per week.
The petition proposed there should be no registration fee for alternate vendors registered for two weeks.
Besides the 18 sub-block leaders, the vendors recommended that there should be one night market representative and one assistant and that there shall be 20 leaders for the whole night market.
According to them, the responsibilities of the representatives shall be as spokesperson and focal person, represent the whole night market in meetings called by concerned authorities, agencies and offices if the sub-block leaders are not required to attend; conduct, preside and distribute meeting notices among the sub-block leaders and make a weekly report in case of events beyond the control of vendors.
The vendors also proposed priority shall be given to leaders with no violation or complaints filed against them by their members or the POSD enforcers and the assigned representative and assistant shall also be entitled to the P100 discount on night market fees per week.
The petition added display stands shall in no case be higher than five feet and that consideration should be given to the size of retractable tents and umbrellas.
Food handlers shall wear proper attire, apron, hairnet, hand protectors or gloves and shall provide proper covers where the food is displayed.
Vendors who paid their slots for the week may opt to be absent any day or for the whole week and whether a vendor fails to sell or become absent any day during the vending week for any reason, they should not be given by enforcers an on hold status due to absence.
By Dexter A. See
