City Hall orders closure of QC's ‘unsanitary’ Balintawak Market

The Balintawak public market is going to be shut down after the Quezon City government found it too unsanitary to continue operating.

 

According to a report on GMA-7's "24 Oras" on Friday, Mayor Herbert Bautista has given the more than 300 legal vendors a week to prepare for the closure. 

 

"Tutal meron naman tayong eight public markets kung sino man ang maaapektuhan diyan na vendors na ligal eh tutulungan natin. Ngayon, ang illegal vendors diyan eh tutuluyan naman natin," he said. 

 

The Balintawak Market suffers from a waste management problem: All trash goes directly into the Toctocan Creek and  slaughterhouses in the market were found to be filthy. 

 

"Kawawa naman bumibili diyan," the mayor said. 

 

Balintawak public market's cleanliness problem has been discussed since 2009 and the Quezon City government waited on the market's management to comply with sanitary protocols for six years. 

 

"We've always been advising them, 'O naasan na ang compliance n'yo?' Para nga kaming mga sirang plaka," City Market Administration and Development Department officer-in-charge Malou Arrieta explained. 

 

"Kumbaga, iyong toleration namin for their compliance eh nandito na sa maximum kasi masyado nang malaki ang impact," she added. 

 

Shutting down the market may address cleanliness issues in the area, but it will leave the vendors jobless. 

 

"Mawawalan po kami ng hanapbuhay. Siyempre kawawa rin kami na mahirap," vendor Andang said. 

 

And when they lose their source of income, their families will suffer. 

 

"Marami po talaga ang magugutom. Sigurado ho iyon. Dito lang po kami kumukuha ng kabuhayan," vendor Vicky Santos said. 

 

Some people are also questioning the Quezon City Hall's motives.

 

There were allegations that the officials may have been influenced by a land developer who may benefit when the market is shut down.

 

But Bautista responded that the Balintawak Market is privately owned. "Desisyon ng may-ari kung gusto niyang ibenta, eh di ibenta niya," he said. — Trisha Macas/JDS, GMA News