Iloilo City rejects nightly bolantero vending outside Super Market

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) has ruled out allowing transient vendors, or bolanteros, to sell outside the Iloilo Terminal “Super” Market every night, citing the risk of unfair competition against regular market vendors.

LEEO head Maricel Mabaquiao said permitting daily outside vending would undercut those already operating inside the market.

“We cannot allow them to operate every night outside Super because they will be competing,” she said Monday, April 13.

“We need to put a balance. The bolantero gets profit, [and] the vendors inside will also have their earnings,” she added.

Mabaquiao made the statement after some bolanteros appealed to the city government to allow nightly selling around the market, citing stiff competition and limited slots in other markets during scheduled market days.

The Iloilo Terminal “Super” Market, which operates 24/7, serves as the primary bagsakan, or wholesale hub, for fresh produce in Panay Island, where goods are consolidated before retail distribution.

To address concerns from both city-based and out-of-town bolanteros, the city government implemented structured market day schedules across major public markets, including Iloilo Central, Terminal, Jaro, Mandurriao, La Paz, and Arevalo.

Mabaquiao said bolanteros have been issued identification cards and assigned numbers to regulate participation and ensure order.

“When they arrive in the different markets, that is what they are going to show, so we can have an order in place and we can determine that they are the bolanteros in our list,” she said.

She noted that each market has varying stall capacities, limiting the number of bolanteros that can be accommodated at any given time.

Mabaquiao said consultations were conducted before implementation, amid concerns about resistance from regular bolanteros in some markets.

“Before we implemented and decided about this market day, we had a meeting with the market vendors association, market vendors, and the market [officer-]in-charge,” she said.

“We have consulted vendors of each market, and they agreed to it,” she added.

The LEEO is also in discussions with the provincial government to identify a permanent area where bolanteros can legally operate.

Despite ongoing concerns, Mabaquiao said authorities will continue clearing operations against vendors selling in undesignated areas.

She encouraged bolanteros to attend scheduled meetings to better understand city policies and raise their concerns through proper channels.