• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Market tenants affected by the construction of the P300 million public market in Silay City, which was the subject of a congressional inquiry last month, are demanding the status quo, or their retention in the old market, instead of being compelled to relocate to a temporary relocation site in Barangay V, Silay City, Negros Occidental, where they described the conditions as ‘pigeon holes’.
A meeting scheduled yesterday between the market tenants and Mayor Joedith Gallego was cancelled without any just cause, according to market tenant Noel Bitoon.
City Engineer Rene Roy Pahilanga said it was postponed because of bad weather.
Bitoon, however, said the meeting was abruptly cancelled as they were already at the relocation site.
Market tenants Bitoon and Emily Jison said the meeting was called by Gallego, but no agenda was mentioned.
Jison reiterated her call for the Mayor to present a concrete plan or blueprint for their relocation site, so they could study it and also make plans.
To make matters worse, Jison said they were told to transfer to the relocation site by January next year, while the many questions and clarifications being sought by market tenants have yet to be answered.
If we have a government who is sympathetic to us, and is for the common good of the community, they should delay it, she said.
An amount of P300 million has been earmarked for the construction of a three story public market in Silay City, equipped with an elevator and escalator.
If you put a three story building, that is a violation, since the public market is a heritage building, Jison stressed.
It just needs a makeover, because the market is not that bad, she added.
Gallego has ordered the City Engineer’s Office to make the temporary market stalls bigger.
A total of 300 temporary stalls are being set up for the affected market vendors of Silay, in an area allocated for the government employees’ housing program, according to Bitoon.*
