BACOLOD City – The city government will clear the North Public Market (Burgos Market) of non-paying vendors, particularly in the fish and vegetable sections.
The Local Market Committee will hold a meeting this week to set the schedule for clearing operations against erring vendors.
To recall, the city government has given the vendors until March 31 to settle their arrears following requests for an extension.
The initial deadline was Jan. 31 of this year.
Legal officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said the city is firm on not giving further extensions.
But, for some who made substantial payments, they may settle their remaining arrears until next month, Ting explained.
Based on the record from the Socio-Economic Enterprise Unit, 206 vendors were occupying the stalls in the fish section. Of these, 13 have pending promissory notes, 108 have made full payments, 53 have made zero payments, one has a partial payment, and 31 stalls are vacant.
Meanwhile, of the 115 stalls in the vegetable section, 14 have promissory notes, 61 have made full payments, 28 have made zero payments, one has made a partial payment, and 11 stalls are vacant.
Ting said failure to settle arrears means the city will have the stalls declared vacant and offered to those interested.
Burgos Market vendors reportedly have arrears for about P16,000 each./PN
