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[av_heading heading=’Commission to regulate Iloilo City plazas mulled’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY CAROLYN JANE ABELLO
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February 8, 2018
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ILOILO City – Councilor R Leone Gerochi has proposed the creation of a body to regulate public plazas.
Citing the recurring problem at Jaro Plaza during the Jaro district fiesta, Gerochi said a “parks commission” could be the answer to the annual conundrum.
“We must learn from our past mistakes,” said Gerochi.
The commission, he said, could be composed of experts such as environmental planners, engineers, even lawyers.
Jaro’s annual fiesta is on Feb. 2. For years, the city government allowed the transformation of Jaro Plaza into a flea market in the months leading to the fiesta, beginning October. It hosted ukay-ukay stalls, eateries and videoke bars, among others.
In October last year, however, Mayor Jose Espinosa III declared it a policy of his administration not to allow ukay-ukay stalls in all public plazas, citing flagrant violations of Republic Act 4653 (An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring it a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles Commonly known as Used Clothing and Rags).
During last year’s Jaro fiesta, the Association of Barangay Councils of Jaro also came under fire for closing the plaza and imposing a P10 carnival entrance fee.
This did not have legal basis, according to City Administrator Hernando Galvez.
The 2017 Jaro fiesta further attracted controversy because of the vendors doing business on the sidewalks around the plaza. They did not have legal basis to do so, said Galvez.
While his proposed “parks commission” remains just that for now, Gerochi said he would be conducting consultations with Jaro barangay captains on the activities they wanted held at the plaza every fiesta of the district./PN
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