The recently opened public market in barangay Lagtang, Talisay City, may be sitting on private property.
“We are still looking for the land title to prove that it is owned by Talisay City,” said Anastacio Cabalejo, Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) for Cebu City.
He said the lot title of the Macapagal-Gullas Public Market is covered by a land patent issued to a certain Otillo Larawan.
Cabalejo, who surveyed the two-hectare property of the market, said they conducted the verification survey of the area.
Based on this, he said the land occupied by the market could not be considered public land.
The report, signed by CENRO officer engineer Manuel Sumayao, recommended that the Talisay city government hire a private geodetic engineer to survey the lot, since the government geodetic engineer is on medical leave.
It also recommended further assessment of the land property to trace the land title since the land patent was issued in the ’70s.
Vendors and militant groups met with environment officials yesterday to discuss their opposition to the transfer of vendors to the new public market.
They said the new location is dangerous since it encroaches on the Managa River.
About 30 vendors protested in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) compound to demand the revocation of the market’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
The protesting vendors want to return to the old market site, which is frequented by their customers.
William Cunado, chief of the Environmental Impact Assessment office, said they will study the CENRO report to determine whether the Talisay city government violated its ECC. Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya