City officials supported the relocation of the fire-displaced vendors at Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market.
Under Resolution No. 174, series of 2023, local legislators cited the need for the fire-displaced vendors to continue their established sources of livelihood at similarly ideal locations for vending in the city that is accessible to market goers for them to be able to sustain their economic activities.
Earlier, the 5-hour fire which ravaged Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market on the night of March 11, 2023 that was declared fire out at around 4:38 am of March 12, 2023 has affected a significant number of vendors and leaving an estimated damage of more than P24 million in terms of public and private properties in the said area.
The council pointed out that the rubble left by the fire require tremendous clearing and the need to relocate the vendors temporarily along Zandueta St. until the burned area will be declared safe and ready for occupation.
Aside from Zandueta St., the fire-displaced vendors have been allowed to do their vending activities along Hilltop St., Kayang St., portions of Malcolm Square, portions of Perfecto St. and portions of Burnham Park to allow them to earn income while the local government is doing its best to put up temporary stalls for their safe vending operation.
Some 1,700 vendors from Blocks 3 and 4 of the city market were reported by the local government to have been displaced by the fire incident that razed nearly one-third of the market facility.
Arson investigators are still ascertaining the cause of the fire through forensic examination of the pieces of evidence gathered from an area where the fire is believed to have originated.
