Bayan Muna rep backs Iloilo market vendors
Central Market, Iloilo City
June 18, 2014
REP. NERI JAVIER COLMENARES (Bayan Muna partylist) declared he will be filing a resolution calling for congressional inquiry on the privatization of the Iloilo Central Market here.
“This is a national trend where government abnegated its duty to provide social services to its people by privatizing them,” he said. “Even hospitals, water and electricity are privatized and it merely enriches corrupt government officials and big business but worsens the plight of ordinary people like market vendors.”
Colmenares issued that statement in a forum here this morning, upon invitation by Rex Donasco, president of the Association of Stallholders and Transient Vendors of Central Market.
Tarpaulin streamers hung by vendors in the Central Market denounce its privatization. Colmenares considers public markets "public utilities" like light, water, schools and hospitals which perform vital services to the people, hence, beyond privatization.
Market vendors oppose the privatization albeit Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog denies the term but only “redevelopment” of the public market “in cooperation” with a private investor SM Prime Holdings.
The vendors have sued the city government in court praying to stop the privatization of the public market.
“The government already knows too well that privatization has failed since the ‘8os; I challenge them to cite a single instance of its success,” declared Colmenares. “Privatization aggravated the sufferings of our people and enriched only a handful.”
Added Colmenares: “Privatization has only enriched corrupt public officials.” That statement triggered an applause from his audience.
Congress is in recess though, “the only government office where officials enjoy recesses more frequent and longer than those given to elementary pupils.”
Colmenares cited the country’s experiences in the aftermath of the privatizationof water and electricity where cost of water shot up “500 percent” and power “1,000 percent” that earned the Philippines the notoriety of having “one of the most expensive water and electricity in Asia higher than that in Japan where wage earners take home salaries more than 10 times that Filipinos get.”
Donasco said Mabilog’s tie up with SM Prime Holdings “lacks transparency” because the public has no access to their contract if there was any. All that vendors were told was that the investors would demolish the public market and erect on its stead a multi-storey structure with the space for public market at the ground and on the upper floors the Hyermarket, a subdiary of SM.
The plan also calls for the city to expand the roads surrounding the public market which means, easing out “peripheral stores.” From the current 1,000 stall holders and vendors, more or less, the new structure will only accommodate 300 which the Mabilog administration considers “legitimate vendors”.
Mabilog sells our souls
“Our future and our children’s future lies in our tenure in the Central Market,” noted Nolasco. “Mabilog and his gang not only betrayed us: they have sold even our souls to SM.”
The revelation that Hypermart will operate the upper floor, Colmenares warned that the vendors are already doomed. “There is a conflict of interest. How can the city protect you when it allows SM to operate Hypermart, your competitor. That is intended to kill you.”
Privatization at first, looks nice. First Hypermart or other big investors would slash its prices to wipe out competition from small store owners. Once accomplished, it becomes a monopoly and is now in the position to jack up prices at will.”
Power of unity
Colmenares, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), hailed the vendors for doing the right thing. He told them:
“We can no expect help from the very government that has already abandoned you and sided with big business. You have done the right thing of organizing and relying on your organized strength. Government will ignore you if you are weak but will take a second thought and begins to listen to you once it senses that you are launching unified actions.”
Meanwhile, Elmer Forro of the urban poor alliance declared that urban poor residents and Gabriela Women’s Party were rallying behind the cause of market vendors.
“The Central Market is just the first target of privatization,” Forro said. “The rest of the public markets in the city in Villa Arevalo, Molo, Mandurriao, La Paz, Jaro and the Super Market, will follow.”
“Women are the budget officers of families. They are already hard pressed now and I don’t know how would that be when public markets are privatized,” Forro commented. “Urban poor residents benefit from public markets for the low prices and also as sources of livelihood.”
Poor residents make a living doing errands and odd jobs, if not vendors themselves, in public markets. (30)
June 18, 2014
REP. NERI JAVIER COLMENARES (Bayan Muna partylist) declared he will be filing a resolution calling for congressional inquiry on the privatization of the Iloilo Central Market here.
“This is a national trend where government abnegated its duty to provide social services to its people by privatizing them,” he said. “Even hospitals, water and electricity are privatized and it merely enriches corrupt government officials and big business but worsens the plight of ordinary people like market vendors.”
Colmenares issued that statement in a forum here this morning, upon invitation by Rex Donasco, president of the Association of Stallholders and Transient Vendors of Central Market.
Tarpaulin streamers hung by vendors in the Central Market denounce its privatization. Colmenares considers public markets "public utilities" like light, water, schools and hospitals which perform vital services to the people, hence, beyond privatization.
Market vendors oppose the privatization albeit Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog denies the term but only “redevelopment” of the public market “in cooperation” with a private investor SM Prime Holdings.
The vendors have sued the city government in court praying to stop the privatization of the public market.
“The government already knows too well that privatization has failed since the ‘8os; I challenge them to cite a single instance of its success,” declared Colmenares. “Privatization aggravated the sufferings of our people and enriched only a handful.”
Added Colmenares: “Privatization has only enriched corrupt public officials.” That statement triggered an applause from his audience.
Congress is in recess though, “the only government office where officials enjoy recesses more frequent and longer than those given to elementary pupils.”
Colmenares cited the country’s experiences in the aftermath of the privatizationof water and electricity where cost of water shot up “500 percent” and power “1,000 percent” that earned the Philippines the notoriety of having “one of the most expensive water and electricity in Asia higher than that in Japan where wage earners take home salaries more than 10 times that Filipinos get.”
Donasco said Mabilog’s tie up with SM Prime Holdings “lacks transparency” because the public has no access to their contract if there was any. All that vendors were told was that the investors would demolish the public market and erect on its stead a multi-storey structure with the space for public market at the ground and on the upper floors the Hyermarket, a subdiary of SM.
The plan also calls for the city to expand the roads surrounding the public market which means, easing out “peripheral stores.” From the current 1,000 stall holders and vendors, more or less, the new structure will only accommodate 300 which the Mabilog administration considers “legitimate vendors”.
Mabilog sells our souls
“Our future and our children’s future lies in our tenure in the Central Market,” noted Nolasco. “Mabilog and his gang not only betrayed us: they have sold even our souls to SM.”
The revelation that Hypermart will operate the upper floor, Colmenares warned that the vendors are already doomed. “There is a conflict of interest. How can the city protect you when it allows SM to operate Hypermart, your competitor. That is intended to kill you.”
Privatization at first, looks nice. First Hypermart or other big investors would slash its prices to wipe out competition from small store owners. Once accomplished, it becomes a monopoly and is now in the position to jack up prices at will.”
Power of unity
Colmenares, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), hailed the vendors for doing the right thing. He told them:
“We can no expect help from the very government that has already abandoned you and sided with big business. You have done the right thing of organizing and relying on your organized strength. Government will ignore you if you are weak but will take a second thought and begins to listen to you once it senses that you are launching unified actions.”
Meanwhile, Elmer Forro of the urban poor alliance declared that urban poor residents and Gabriela Women’s Party were rallying behind the cause of market vendors.
“The Central Market is just the first target of privatization,” Forro said. “The rest of the public markets in the city in Villa Arevalo, Molo, Mandurriao, La Paz, Jaro and the Super Market, will follow.”
“Women are the budget officers of families. They are already hard pressed now and I don’t know how would that be when public markets are privatized,” Forro commented. “Urban poor residents benefit from public markets for the low prices and also as sources of livelihood.”
Poor residents make a living doing errands and odd jobs, if not vendors themselves, in public markets. (30)
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