‘Ukay-ukay’ ban saddens Baguio folk

BAGUIO CITY — "Paano naman kami kung totoo yan (How are we to survive if that’s true)?"

This statement of an Igorot stall owner may well echo the common sentiment among city folk against the order of President Arroyo to ban imports of ukay-ukay or wagwagan as imported used clothes are called here.

This summer capital has earned the monicker "Wagwagan City" as the sale of wagwagan (meaning "to dust off") items, starting out as a sidestreet trade in the 60s, has grown into a million-peso industry in just two years.

At least a dozen buildings have been converted into arcades of wagwagan stalls said to be employing more than 600 people.

The city government itself has systematized the issuance of business permits to these stalls for tax purposes.

City officials even see the wagwagan stalls as a tourist attraction. "Wagwagan is a convenient side-trip for our visitors...This order will have a major impact on tourism and our economy because most of the shops in downtown Baguio have been converted into wagwagan houses," said city tourism officer Benedicto Alhambra. — Artemio Dumlao