DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 3 July) — Vendors at the Agdao Public Market, particularly those in the variety and dry goods sections, are grateful for being allowed to sell on the ground floor, where sales are brisk, despite being assigned to the second floor of a newly expanded building. However, they remain anxious about their uncertain situation, as they were initially permitted to sell on the ground floor only until June 30, as announced by Maximo Macalipes, officer-in-charge of the City Economic Enterprise (CEE), in response to their requests. Ligaya Uba, president of the Agdao Public Market Dry Goods Section, sees this as a sign that the Duterte administration, even under Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, is finally addressing their concerns. Uba believes the CEE has understood their plight, possibly due to the mayor’s intervention. The Agdao Farmers’ Market Association sent a letter to Baste on March 10, requesting an extension to sell on the ground floor beyond June 30, but they have yet to receive a response. Uba also appealed for reduced stall rents, as vendors are paying for both their assigned stalls on the second floor and temporary ones on the ground floor. Currently, dry goods and variety vendors pay ₱18.40 per square meter daily, amounting to ₱6,000 to ₱12,000 monthly. Many vendors have left due to low earnings, with only 42 of 78 variety vendors and 18 of 28 dry goods vendors remaining. A committee, including city officials and vendor representatives, has yet to decide if vendors can continue selling on the ground floor. Paul Alparaque, Agdao Public Market inspector, advised vendors to maintain cleanliness and pay rents on time to avoid complications. The ₱850-million market expansion project was halted in its third phase due to funding issues, with plans for another building to house the fruit and vegetable sections temporarily relocated to the second floor. Since October 15, 2024, some second-floor vendors have been allowed to sell on the ground floor during certain hours to boost earnings. The ground floor, originally assigned to meat, fish, and poultry vendors, is now shared with dry goods and variety vendors. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
