Vegetable vendors from Balintawak Cloverleaf Market in Quezon City on Thursday, June 9, staged a “No Palengke Day” to protest against the exorbitant market stall rental fees being imposed on them, and warned that this may lead to a marked increase in the prices of vegetables.
Miguelito Mangunay, president Balintawak Cloverleaf Market Association, told Manila Bulletin that they conducted the protest to express their grievances against the market’s management and the local government.
He said they are protesting against the the poor state of the market which has not been renovated nor improved for years, the absence of business permits, and the lack of parking spaces.
Mangunay added that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the market stall rental increased about four times, from P1,000 per day to P3,000.
According to the association president, they have been trying to sit down with the management and discuss the issues for more than five years but they have not received a response or action from them.
He said the temporary halt in operations at the market lasted until 10 a.m. on Thursday.
QC Market Development and Administration Department Project and Program Officer Procopio Lipana said he is coordinating with the Balintawak Cloverleaf Market management regarding the matter.
He said the issues being raised are internal to the corporation managing the market. It also failed to secure a market permit which affected around 1,000 vendors and workers.
Lipana added that they will call for a meeting with the management to help settle the issues.