Guv to bolanteros: Respect the city’s rules, we’re working on a fix

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said market regulations being enforced by the Iloilo City government should be respected, as tensions continue over the strict implementation of an ordinance prohibiting ambulant vendors, locally known as bolanteros, within a 100-meter radius of the Iloilo Terminal Market.

The city’s enforcement of the policy has been carried out through clearing operations involving local enforcement units and police personnel, resulting in reports of confrontations with vendors.

The measure has drawn mixed reactions, with some groups criticizing it as “anti-poor” and raising concerns over the displacement of informal workers, including those affected by market redevelopment works by SM Prime Holdings Inc.

City officials have defended the policy as necessary to maintain order, safety, and compliance with existing regulations while acknowledging the economic difficulties faced by affected vendors.

The Iloilo Terminal Market has traditionally served as a bagsakan, or wholesale drop-off point, for agricultural goods, with strong ties to provincial producers who bring their products to the city for distribution and trade.

“If it is about the [Iloilo City’s] management of roads and city facilities, we should respect that. We understand that the city has its own plan on how to manage the market,” Defensor said in an interview Tuesday, April 14.

“In the meantime, we also have our plans. I am not saying that this will immediately happen, but we are going for a food terminal of some kind. If this will push through, we will have a meeting very soon. This is a long-term plan,” he added.

The proposed facility would allow farmers to sell their products directly to consumers from both the province and Iloilo City, similar to the farmers’ market model in Quezon City, he said.

Defensor stressed, however, that the project remains in the planning stage and will require coordination with potential partners, including the national government and the private sector through public-private partnership arrangements.

“For a provincial government alone, we cannot afford to put up a large food terminal. That would require national government funding. While we do not have that, we will look for a private sector counterpart,” he said, adding that a definite timeline cannot yet be set.