‘ATON ANG MERKADO’: Vendors protest SM-led public market redevelopment

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By Juliane Judilla

Several market vendors from the Iloilo Terminal Market, joined by Kabataan Partylist and the Panay Consumers Alliance, raised their concerns during a press conference on October 28 ahead of the market’s soft opening.

The event followed the Konsulta ng Makabayan, a consultation where more than 150 vendors from the Iloilo Terminal Market (locally called Super) and the Iloilo Central Market (Central) gathered to voice their fears and demands.

Data from the consultation revealed that stall owners were required to pay a “goodwill” fee ranging from PHP 5,000 to PHP 10,000, based on stall location, which was assigned at random by management.

In addition to this upfront cost, vendors were also expected to cover expenses for lighting and roll-up installations – an added burden as many continue to recover from pandemic-related losses.

The redevelopment of the Iloilo Central and Terminal markets, two of the province’s oldest and most vital public marketplaces, is being carried out through a PHP 3 billion public-private partnership between the Iloilo City Government and SM Prime Holdings Inc.

While the city has framed the 25-year lease deal as a step toward modernization, many vendors and civic groups argue it amounts to privatization that could displace small traders and disrupt the local market ecosystem.

Nelly Vigo, an ambulant vendor at the Terminal Market, shared her anxiety about being excluded from the redeveloped facility.

“The biggest problem is that we no longer have space for our goods,” she said.

“We don’t know what will happen once the new market opens.”

Vigo, who pays a daily arkabala fee of PHP 100, said the financial strain is already overwhelming.

“We already struggle to pay every day just to feed our families,” she said. “What will happen to us if we lose our place entirely?”

“When SM arrived, why weren’t we included?” she asked. “From the very beginning, we were the ones sustaining the market. SM may have the money, but we are the ones who keep the community alive.”

Longtime vendor Alberto Destacamento echoed her concern, stating, “It’s supposed to be for the masses – so why was it handed to SM?”

Francisca Erfe, a former vendor who lost her stall after organizing protests, said the struggle will continue.

“We will not stop – until our livelihood is restored and until we are given a space without any conditions,” she said.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Atty. Renee Co reaffirmed support for the vendors, citing a 2014 bill filed by Bayan Muna and a more recent resolution in the 19th Congress calling for investigations into public-private partnerships involving markets.

“Redeveloping a public market without safeguarding the rights of vendors does not only strip Ilonggos of their livelihood – it erases our culture and identity,” Co said.

“They are erasing our culture, taking away our livelihood, and depriving ordinary Filipinos of their right to live.”

Co said the Makabayan bloc backs the vendors’ demands, including unconditional reinstatement of displaced vendors, a halt to “goodwill” fees, a moratorium on rent and fee hikes, and prioritization of longtime sellers.

She also stressed the need to keep goods affordable for consumers and to preserve public ownership and control of the markets.

Following the press conference, vendors, along with members of the Panay Consumers Alliance and Gabriela Panay and Guimaras, staged a picket protest outside the newly constructed SM Iloilo Terminal Market.

Protesters condemned what they called the “corporatization” of a public marketplace that has long been a vital part of Iloilo’s economy and community life. (Photos by Juliane Judilla)