CEBU, Philippines - The fish sales in Mandaue City Public Market has improved, vendors said.
Rhoda Tul-it, 26, married, from barangay Ibabao-Estancia, speaking in behalf of 180 stallholders of fish, said sales went down as a result of the August 16 sinking of M/V St. Thomas Aquinas of 2GO Shipping off the coast of Talisay City after it collided with cargo ship M/V Sulpicio Express Siete.
Tul-it said each of them used to dispose of three containers of fish in a day but after the incident it took them two days to sell one container.
The Mandaue City government, through the office of the public market, intervened by holding a press conference at city hall where fishery officials assured the public that fish is still safe to eat.
Fish in the market is sourced from Bantayan, Bohol, and Mindanao as well as Romblon, officials said.
To prove their point, officials from the city government and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources held a boodle fight with fish as the only menu.
With the situation improving, some vendors who stopped vending have now resumed their business, emphasizing they are able to dispose of a container of fish in a day, with a few that remain unsold, which they preserve in the freezer for disposal the following day.
Tul-it expressed hope that with the ongoing government intervention their sales will normalize.
They also welcomed the move of the city council to grant them a one-month moratorium in the payment of their P35 daily stall rental. (FREEMAN)