We want to inform the city council and the public that the City Mayor’s Office has cancelled the Sunday market at Session Road on Dec. 29, 2023 through a phone call without even consulting and considering the concerned vendors and creatives.
We have paid in advance the registration fee and had been doing production since Dec. 25, 2023 for the supposed Sunday market on Dec. 31, 2023.
We reinvested majority of our sales from the Sunday market on Dec. 24, 2023 to make sure that we have enough supply for the 31st.
The CMO did not explain why the Sunday market was cancelled, as there was no executive order, or even a letter on this matter.
The organizers, the Baguio Tourism Office, also did not have an explanation because even the office was clueless.
A possible reason for the cancellation could be concerns over public safety and traffic management, especially with the influx of tourists because of the holiday season. However, it’s important for the CMO to provide a clear and transparent communication on the matter to avoid any confusion or backlash.
We already invested our money, time, and effort, and we were not even given a proper explanation.
The city is so proud of being recognized as a creative city for crafts and folk arts yet the creatives are not being considered on matters that concern our livelihood.
Also, is it so convenient that the creatives are just one call away when the city needs us to do demonstration for the media and tourists?
We hope the council could help us vendors/creatives by ensuring that concerned officials and offices will consider us next time the CMO cancels events that concern our livelihood. — NAME WITHHELD, Baguio City
April 29, 2024