Wednesday, October 10, 2007 From 'City of Smiles' to 'City of Smells?' By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
THE plan of Mayor Evelio Leonardia to transfer all fish vendors along Luzuriaga and Gatuslao streets to Bonifacio and Ballesteros streets met vehement objection from a Chinese-Filipino businessman.
Businesman Jose 'Tong-on' Go, one of the old-timer Tsinoy businessmen in Bonifacio street, expressed confusion in Monday's joint committee hearing conducted by Councilors Alex Paglomutan and Wilson Gamboa Jr., chairmen of the City Council committees on market and traffic, respectively.
Go also cited Leonardia's letter to the council seeking authority to enforce the clearing of fish vendors surrounding the Central Market.
According to Go, who claimed to speak for several Tsinoy business owners along Bonifacio and Ballesteros streets, "Our invitation did not mention anything about gathering all the fish vendors and closing Bonifacio street for them."
"But to gather all the fish vendors to Bonifacio and Ballesteros streets will not make Bacolod a 'City of Smiles' but 'City of Smells'," he said.
James Chua, president of the Bacolod-Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (BFCCI), stressed that to show concern for the livelihood of fish vendors, the mayor should not make any move at the expense of others.
"Closing the Bonifacio street will deprive businesses there of loading and unloading spaces and discouraging potential clients knowing that at a certain period, roads will be closed for them," Chua said.
Another Tsinoy businessman at Bonifacio, Mars Yu, reminded the body of one's constitutional rights to road access and that roads are not made for fish vendors.
To settle the matter, Paglomutan, Gamboa, and City Legal Officer Allan Zamora accepted all contributions of the affected businesses.
Paglomutan appealed to the Tsinoy community that "the Mayor's plan will be on an experimental basis."
Zamora, instead presented the plan of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) where the Masa Mart and the fish vendors will be moved towards the extreme side of the market and there will be no parking on the other side.
Paglomutan and Gamboa agreed that 2.5 meters will be allocated for access but the City must implement a no parking policy except for loading and unloading of stocks.
