DTI Borongan: Market fish vendors violate ordinance

By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern Samar)
October 2, 2007

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  The poor must be brought out of their “living-death world”. Thus said Mrs. Eleanor O. Alido, Eastern Samar Provincial Director of Department of Trade and Industry in a telephone interview.

Alido’s spontaneous empathy for the poor was said as her natural reaction to what her department was able to confirm in their recent market study which revealed the vendors fraudulent and unscrupulous maneuvering of prices.

Referring to Borongan’s (then) Municipal Ordinance No. 9, s. 2003, Alido and her staff noted that several market vendors have manipulative behaviors. Their survey, conducted particularly during the September period when Boronganons were preparing for their city fiesta celebration, disclosed that aside from fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, even restaurants have had exorbitant prices.  Similarly, even recently, when the celebration was over, still the same condition is exhibited in the wet market.

Alido stressed that the price of fish have been notably maneuvered, if only to examine the specification indicated in the ordinance.  The famous Blue Marlin have soared to One Hundred Eighty pesos (P180) per kilo and the Tuna, One Hundred Fifty (P150).  Surprisingly, she added that the fish from Guiuan is more expensive from those coming from Catbalogan, when in truth, the former is more proximate to Borongan city.

However, the vendors argued, according to Alido that the fish variety of Guiuan is more classy than those from Catbalogan, hence the more price of Guiuan’s marine products.  But again, DTI did not content with the vendors “Alibi”.  Something must be done, she said.

Armed with their survey’s findings, DTI is set to submit to Borongan City’s Sangguniang Panglunsod for them to study and sanction the fraudulent prices in the Borongan Market. Considering all parties, albeit, related cost and mark ups, DTI has recommended specific ceilings from first class variety of fish to the third. For example, Guiuan’s first class fish must be sold at only P130 per kilo, 2nd class-P90per kilo and 3rd class-P70.00 per kilo.  On the other hand, the fish from Catblogan, may be priced P110, P80 and P70 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes respectively.

Alido hopes and calls on the SP for their prioritization and urgency. She said, that as the people project a city life status, the government can also look at the different angles of one’s personality.  Progressing socially, may require first of all, emotional and economic growth.

Today, while some prices in the market remain high as against its standards, the person who is hungry will just have to bite it regardless the buying power of his peso, as long as he could satisfy his primordial biological need…food.

Asked what DTI has done to these violators, the lady director said for humanitarian considerations, on first offense they are warned, on second offense penalty is imposed but on the third offense, their permit will be revoked.