Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is pushing for the immediate transfer of vendors vending on the side of the road into the new Sum-ag Public Market to decongest heavy traffic in the area.
The problem of the vendors and traffic in the area were raised to the mayor on his radio program “Isugid Kay Mayor” aired on FMR Bacolod 91.1 on Sunday, Nov. 19.
The mayor said he visited the area two weeks ago and asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to act on the matter. However, as of Sunday the turnover of the market and the transfer of the vendors had not taken place.
The DPWH has not been able to turnover the market because it has no electricity yet, which the contractor is required to install, District Engineer Abraham Villareal told the mayor.
Central Negros Electric Cooperative has not provided the market with an electricity connection because the Sum-ag barangay government has arrears in payments to CENECO, Villareal said.
CENECO manager Arnel Lapore, when reached by the mayor, said CENECO would grant the immediate connection if the Sum-ag barangay council issued a promissory note that it will pay its arrears.
Ceneco is willing to allow payments to be made on a staggared basis, Lapore said.
The mayor said he would closely monitor the situation to ensure that the market vendors can move so the road can be decongested.
He is also looking at an expansion of the market’s meat section.
NOISE POLLUTION
Also reported to the mayor during his “Isugid Kay Mayor” program was a complaint from a resident of noise coming from an establishment at Narra Avenue in Bacolod at night.
Benitez asked Villamonte Barangay Captain Rommel Flores to act on the matter and monitor the situation.
Lawyer Jun Malde of the City Legal Office said City Ordinance 356 date Jan. 15, 2004 regulates noise pollution in Bacolod City. Noise allowed from establishments during the day is 55 decibels and 45 decibels at night, he said.*