‘ART FOR THE PEOPLE’: Street theater in Iloilo spotlights market vendors’ struggles

By Juliane Judilla

ILOILO CITY – An artist collective and a university theater group staged a street performance at the Iloilo Terminal Market on Saturday, September 5, placing the struggles of market and ambulant vendors at the center of a public performance amid ongoing changes to the city’s public markets.

Dakila-Iloilo organized the activity, called Adlaw sang Tienda (Market Day), together with West Visayas State University (WVSU) student theater group TeatroTayo.

The activity sought to draw attention to the rights, livelihood, and dignity of vendors, particularly bolanteros, or ambulant vendors, whose incomes depend on public spaces.

Dakila-Iloilo said the activity used theater and creative expression to bring public attention to the lived experiences of vendors.

The group said it also aimed to encourage a broader discussion about vendors’ place in the city’s public spaces.

“Through this creative action, we hope to present to the public the human realities behind ambulant vending and encourage a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by those whose livelihoods depend on these spaces,” the group said.

Dakila-Iloilo added that the activity sought to raise questions about livelihood, dignity, and social inclusion.

The group also asked how public spaces could be managed while remaining responsive to the people who depend on them.

‘Modern-day heroes’

Jay Cartujano of Dakila-Iloilo said the group organized Adlaw sang Tienda as part of its commemoration of National Heroes Day.

Cartujano described vendors as “modern-day heroes” who help put food on people’s tables.

“We organized ‘Adlaw sang Tienda‘ because we wanted to show the reality faced by our vendors,” Cartujano said.

“Every day, we see them in markets and along the streets, but we often fail to think about what they go through just to make a living,” he added.

Cartujano said clearing operations and changes in public markets disproportionately affect people who rely on these areas for their daily income.

“For them, these are not simply places where they sell goods; they are their livelihood,” he said.

The activity posed a question to the public and the Iloilo City government: “As we develop the city, is there still a place for the people who make their living here?”

Dakila-Iloilo said enforcing rules and regulations should not come at the expense of the people affected by them.

“There should be respect, dignity, and consideration for their livelihoods,” Cartujano said.

Theater puts vendors’ struggles on stage

A central feature of the activity was Eksena sa Tienda, a street theater production by WVSU TeatroTayo.

Dr. Jemuel B. Garcia Jr. directed the play, and Francis L. Cabinos wrote it.

The play follows Toto, a child accused of taking a fish while running an errand for his mother.

As he encounters vendors, the audience is introduced to a lively market community marked by laughter, conflict, everyday problems, and people helping one another survive.

The story also depicts the economic struggles of vendors and the threat posed by a moneylender.

“But in simple terms, ‘Eksena sa Tienda‘ is a story about people,” Cartujano said.

“It shows that behind every vendor is a person with a family, struggles, dreams, and reasons why they continue working every day,” he added.

Through the performance, the organizers sought to challenge the tendency to see vendors merely as people occupying sidewalks or other public spaces.

“They are people who deserve humane spaces and adequate support,” Cartujano said.

Calls for inclusive policies

Dakila-Iloilo said the activity was also a call for policies that balance urban development and public order with the livelihood and dignity of vendors.

The group said public spaces may need regulation, but vendors and other affected communities should be consulted before decisions that could directly affect their livelihoods are made.

“We want their voices to be heard, and we do not want decisions to be made about them without consulting them,” Cartujano said.

Cartujano emphasized the contribution of vendors to local communities, noting that the products they sell have helped sustain communities for decades.

“And if we truly consider them heroes, then we should stand with them in fighting for genuine, people-centered spaces where they can earn a living and sustain their livelihoods,” Cartujano said.

Groups denounce ‘corporatization’ of public markets

Lucy Francisco of Gabriela Panay and lead convenor of the Panay Consumers Alliance (PCA) also stood in solidarity with the vendors.

The PCA is one of the groups opposing the public-private partnership (PPP) between the Iloilo City government and SM Prime Holdings involving public markets.

Francisco denounced what she described as the “corporatization” of public markets.

She argued that these spaces have long served as livelihood hubs for small traders and as part of Iloilo’s local economy and identity.

The Iloilo City government awarded a 25-year lease agreement to SM Prime Holdings for the development of the Central Public Market and the Super Public Market in 2022.

Construction began on Sept. 18, 2023, and the project was expected to be completed in 2025, according to city officials and the company.

The redeveloped markets have since drawn a legal challenge, as the Association of Stall Owners and Transient Vendors filed a case against the PPP’s lease agreement, naming Mayor Jerry Treñas and the city council as respondents.

The city government has pushed back on characterizations of the deal as privatization, with its Local Economic Enterprise Office saying SM Prime will manage only its designated area within the redeveloped market, while overall operations remain under city supervision.

Francisco also pointed to previous efforts by cause-oriented groups to raise concerns over the treatment of vendors and the impact of market-related projects.

Among these, Francisco cited the submission of incident reports to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region VI concerning alleged human rights violations during clearing operations.

She also recalled efforts in the House of Representatives, including a 2014 bill filed by Bayan Muna and a resolution filed by Kabataan Partylist during the 19th Congress seeking an investigation into PPP projects involving public markets.

The groups’ participation in Adlaw sang Tienda underscored their continuing call for public market development that includes the voices and welfare of the vendors who depend on these spaces.

For them, bringing the issue to the streets through art was a way to make the struggles of vendors visible, not simply as an issue of market regulation or urban development, but as a question of whose lives and livelihoods have a place in the changing city.