By: Dolly Yasa
Bacolod City – Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) chairman Frank Carbon lauded the efforts of city and provincial government officials in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental in clearing major thoroughfares and sidewalks.
Carbon said they have been asking for it for a long time and he approves of the move.
He added that market stalls only get a limited number of customers because of inaccessibility. He even recalled some incidents where stall owners in the downtown area pick fights with passersby who accidentally bump into their stalls.
Carbon said establishment owners could likely see an improvement in sales by 20 to 30 percent, because they will now be able to see their product displays more clearly to the public.
Last week, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia touted the ongoing road-clearing process, stating, “We’ve seen significant progress.”
Operations were prompted after President Rodrigo Duterte, in his most recent State of the Nation Address, called on “all concerned local officials” to “undertake immediate action to ensure the speedy and smooth flow of vehicular traffic.”
In a press release earlier this month, the city government highlighted a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) memorandum circular which mandated that “within 60 calendar days, significant results must be achieved, documented, and reported.”
Leonardia said the follow-up meeting is being held as a means of ensuring all auditing and reporting is complete and accurate.
“We want to ensure a comprehensive compliance for our report to the DILG and Malacañang Palace,” he affirmed.
