Crackdown on illegal acts at city market set

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will pursue reforms at the city market to weed out illegal activities and put back order at the supposed show window of the city.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said measures to implement these reforms were tackled during the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) meeting last week.

           

The mayor said the city will beef up its work force to ensure that all the rules and regulations at the city market will be enforced.  He said additional personnel will be hired by the public order and safety division of the city mayor’s office to assist the city police and the BCMA in the implementation of these rules.

            

He said the city will definitely intensify the implementation of the waste disposal rules in the area particularly in the compliance with the dumping schedule and segregation requirements.

            

“Violators will have to be reported and slapped the necessary penalties including the closure of his or her business at the market,” the mayor said.

            

The city also plans to scrap the daily collection of cuartais at the city market and instead will require vendors to pay their dues directly at City Hall on a weekly basis.

            

The mayor said the new scheme is hoped to improve monitoring and do away with illegal collection practices happening in the area.

Under the planned scheme, the ticketing system will be removed and the vendors will instead be issued vending cards for easy monitoring.

Earlier, the mayor said the city intends to fully implement the terms of the lease contracts with the vendors at the city market and go after those with delinquencies in rental fees.

He said the city will also impose the provisions in the tax ordinance governing constructions and improvements, partnership, personal administration of stalls, the use of dummies and sub-lease of stalls, and vacancy of stalls before the expiration of the lease, and the bidding out of stalls to give equal opportunities to qualified traders.

           

“It is high time to put these errant people in their proper place.  We have to act now to eradicate illegal activities at our city market.  After all, it is still the city government and not the vendors that own the market,” the mayor said.

The mayor said the city will also pursue improvements at the city market including the putting up of a clinic to cater to emergency medical needs of the occupants and client and the conversion of the area between Blocks III and IV into a greenbelt area.

The mayor said he has tasked the city buildings and architecture office to draw up the plan for the park to give a breathing space to an otherwise crowded place.