Bacolod eyes permanent night market in downtown area

Bacolod City is planning to establish a permanent night market in the downtown area as the month-long weekend night market along Araneta St. ends tonight, Jan. 11.

City Ordinance No. 08-14-666 creates the policies and guidelines for the establishment and regulation of night markets in the city.

City Administrator Mark Mayo said that Mayor Greg Gasataya is looking into making the night market a permanent economic activity in downtown Bacolod while considering its effects on traffic and other aspects.

“We have to make the downtown area alive even during nighttime to give more businesses opportunities to flourish,” he said in an interview.

Last month, the night market was set up from 6:30 p.m. to midnight from Dec. 12 to 14, from Dec. 19 to 21, and from Dec. 24 to 31.

It continued from Jan. 1 to 4 and had a final schedule from Jan. 9 to 11.

Vendors include those selling food items, household items, souvenirs, and used clothes.

Based on the ordinance, the designated night marketplaces are “officially declared locations which could be government lands, portions of roads or streets legally and temporarily closed to vehicular traffic”.

The “location can be expanded, relocated, or transferred by the local government as the need arises,” it added.

Passed in March 2014, the night market ordinance cites that such activity is seen to be beneficial to the people who go home late from work, and is one way of increasing the income of market vendors.* (Nanette Guadalquiver / PNA)