ILOILO City – The number of ambulant vendors (locally known as bolanteros) operating around Iloilo City’s public markets increased after several market rehabilitation projects were completed, prompting the city government to verify legitimate sellers and consider establishing a permanent vending site.
Mayor Raisa Treñas said some individuals had joined registered ambulant vendors during market days despite not being included in the city’s official inventory.
“We noticed that others have started selling alongside the registered ambulant vendors even though they were not part of the original list. We need to determine who the legitimate vendors are and who only recently joined so that the implementation of our policies will be fair,” Treñas said.
The city government conducted an inventory of ambulant vendors before the rehabilitation of the public markets began. Those on the original list will be prioritized under the proposed permanent vending arrangement.
“We already conducted an inventory of registered ambulant vendors even before the market rehabilitation began. We know who the legitimate vendors are, and they will be the priority beneficiaries of this initiative,” she explained.
The proposal also followed a manifesto submitted by market vendors who complained that ambulant sellers operating outside newly rehabilitated public markets had diverted customers and reduced the sales of rent-paying stallholders, particularly during market days.
Treñas said the city is looking for a permanent location where legitimate ambulant vendors can legally sell instead of transferring from one area to another.
“If we can provide them with a designated selling area, the system will become more organized, and we can also avoid unfair competition. The important thing is that they will have a stable place to earn a living while also protecting the viability of our public markets,” she said.
The mayor stressed that the city must protect the livelihoods of ambulant vendors without placing market stallholders who pay rent and comply with city regulations at a disadvantage.
“We want to find a win-win solution. We do not want our ambulant vendors to lose their livelihood, but at the same time, we must also protect the vendors who pay rent and comply with the city’s rules and regulations,” Treñas said.
Treñas assured unregistered ambulant vendors that the city government would also study possible interventions for them, although any assistance must follow an orderly process.
“We also do not want to neglect those who are not registered. We will look for ways to help them as well, but there has to be a proper process and an organized system. Our goal is to improve the management of our public markets while providing fair opportunities for everyone trying to earn a living,” the mayor said.
The city government will continue consulting market stallholders and ambulant vendors before finalizing the policy, with the goal of protecting livelihoods, preventing unfair competition and maintaining order around Iloilo City’s public markets./PN
