BACOLOD CITY – The city government has barred vendors from selling in the public plaza here.
In a press briefing on Monday, January 8, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said a resolution about the matter was discussed during their legislative meeting in Baguio City last week.
BENITEZ (Glazyl Masculino)
Last year, some stalls selling dry goods like used clothes were put up at the portion of the public plaza owned by the Church under a usufruct agreement with the city government.
Vendors were only allowed to sell because it was the holiday season. However, some considered them an eyesore as it covered the beauty of the plaza.
Benitez said that he tasked Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the Committee on Markets of the City Council, to find a place for these vendors.
“There will be an alternative location for vendors. We can put them somewhere near,” he added.
Benitez said they will look for ways to enable vendors to continue selling without destroying the beauty of the plaza.
He said that they would like to preserve the plaza and maintain its prestige.
Benitez said that they will also find ways to keep supporting priests. “I understand they do this as fund-raising activities for retired priests. We can look for another form of support so that they will not lose their additional resources,” he added.
The city government has requested P300 million from the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to improve facilities at the public plaza and the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) – P80 million for a water fountain at the plaza and P220 million for the renovation of the BCGC grounds.
Once the plaza is improved, Benitez is thinking of converting it into a destination like those that can be found in countries like Japan and Singapore.