AMID ANTI-POOR BASH: City Hall mulls bagsakan areas for bolanteros

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City government is studying the establishment of designated bagsakan areas for transient vendors, or bolanteros, amid growing scrutiny over recent clearing operations that several groups have described as anti-poor and violent.

Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia said the proposal is being considered as a compromise to provide legal and accessible trading spaces for transient vendors affected by stricter enforcement of market rules.

“As a compromise, we will look for other bagsakan areas for ambulant vendors. Perhaps we could set up bagsakan areas at densely populated relocation sites in the outskirts of the City that are too far from the main markets. We will continue to study this for the benefit of everyone,” he said in a reply to a comment on his Facebook post Monday, April 13.

The bagsakan area proposal is on top of the city government’s plan to grant bolanteros a scheduled market day, during which they can rotate selling products across public markets, Sarabia said.

Local Economic Enterprise Office head Maricel Mabaquiao said Monday the city government is also exploring coordination with the Iloilo provincial government to identify a permanent area where ambulant vendors can legally operate.

In his Facebook post, Sarabia stressed that bolanteros must comply with existing market regulations, framing the issue as one of law enforcement rather than poverty.

“The issue is so simple. If they want to do business on a permanent basis, they should apply as market vendors like everyone else. You pay taxes, fees and rent. If you want to stay as ambulant vendors, then you follow the market day. That is open to all,” the post read.

“This is not an anti-poor issue, this is an anti-law issue,” he added.

No individual is exempt from the law regardless of economic status, Sarabia said.

“We have a Market Code. No one, not rich or poor have the right to overstep the law just because of their status in life. We Filipinos must understand this duty if we wish to progress as a nation,” he stressed.

He pointed out that bolanteros are not barred from applying for a stall inside the market, adding that “there’s no state-supported discrimination against anyone.”

Rental rates in public markets remain affordable, ranging from PHP 5 to PHP 20 per square meter depending on location, he said.

Vendors with sufficient capital can comply if they choose to formalize their operations, he added.

Sarabia said the City Council is set to review the Market Code, particularly provisions restricting ambulant vendors from selling within 100 meters of public markets.

The Market Code was enacted in 2009, predating his tenure on the City Council, he noted.