Survey 1: Issues and Problems on the Prolonged Renovation of Baliuag Market

 

Citizen and Community Journalism: Issues and Problems on the Prolonged Renovation of Baliuag Market

Photo by Cruz, Jan Patrixia Mae

            “Priority” refers to the guarantee of a new stall or location once the marketplace of Baliuag becomes ready for operation. People considered as priority, as a similar system to seniority, are usually those who have been selling for a long time in the market and are thus given a guaranteed spot. On the other hand, others need to pay to reserve themselves a slot if they are not among those who were first given priority.

            The information regarding the construction and renovation of the market is lacking. The site itself does not display information regarding the construction time, the agencies responsible for its progress, and other vital information.

Photo by Cruz, Jan Patrixia Mae

               Currently, some of the stalls are located on the one-hand side of the road, sometimes making it difficult to traverse through the traffic, discouraging consumers to go to the said stalls.

              In order to address the issue,  surveys were conducted with the interest in mind of the lives of the vendors in the marketplace of Baliuag. The market is currently undergoing renovation, with old buildings, stalls, and areas being torn down and replaced with newer facilities and locations that can be more comfortable and to better accommodate the vendors and the consumers that buy essential goods, such as food and material goods, of Baliuag.

           Ten (10) vendors were surveyed, and below are their responses in charted form, with some pattern and distinctions between each response. Most of the vendors opted to not share their names with the survey conductors, which are respected. The surveys were conducted on February 13 and 15, 2024.

          The questionnaire for this survey is based on the experiences of the vendors and how the current renovation impacts the quality and profits of their businesses. 

1. How long have you been selling in the market?

Gaano na po kayo katagal nagtitinda sa palengke?

2. Did you encounter any problems with selling your goods?

May problema po ba kayong naranasan sa pagtitinda?

3. What do you think is a proper solution to your problem?

 Ano ang sa tingin po ninyo na mainam na solusyon sa inyong problema?

 

            A common pattern that can be discerned in these responses would be the low income, “matumal”, compared to before the relocation had happened to make way for the renovation process, since most vendors were displaced away form their usually spots, away from their “suki” or regular customers, which makes it harder for them to sell their goods.

Report by: Jan Patrixia Mae Cruz, Roi Jendrick Jacinto and Angel Kathleen Parulan

Other insights for our documentation:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PUNiOb3Y6gei82x-FxdCMRg3QAqoutcY?usp=drive_link