Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 6039)
The main purpose of Republic Act No. 6039 is to amend subsection (cc) of Section 18 of Republic Act No. 409, as amended, which revises the charter of the City of Manila, specifically concerning the establishment, maintenance, regulation, and fee fixing of public stables, laundries, baths, public markets, and slaughterhouses in Manila.
Market vendors must pay prescribed market fees daily and are not allowed to accumulate back rentals exceeding fifteen days. Failure to pay after due notice results in automatic forfeiture of their rights as stallholders and may lead to the closure of their stalls by the market administrator.
Any person occupying one or more stalls in public markets upon approval of the Act is considered a market vendor for the purposes of this law. The city must execute lease contracts with such vendors within a reasonable time, and disputes over leases are referred to the market committee with a final decision.
All back rentals incurred during this period are condoned, meaning they are forgiven or waived.
Vendors whose stalls were extrajudicially declared vacant and closed for failure to pay rentals from October 16, 1968, until the Act's approval shall be restored to their stalls.
Displaced vendors are given first priority to occupy the same number of stalls they previously occupied in the new market, but none may occupy more than three stalls.
The Market Committee is created by the city mayor and includes the market administrator as chairman, and representatives from the city treasurer, municipal board, the Chamber of Filipino Retailers, Inc., and the Manila Market Vendors Association Inc. Its powers include formulating market policies, fixing fees, approving market building plans, and managing market funds.
The Public Market Sinking Fund is created from 30% of the annual gross receipts from market fees. It is used to finance the construction, remodeling, or replacement of market buildings, and to purchase new market sites or privately owned buildings used as public markets.
Violations are punishable by a fine of not less than 200 pesos and not more than 2,000 pesos, imprisonment from six months to one year, and disqualification from holding public office if committed by a public official or employee.
No. Operators or their agents of private properties used as public markets may not collect market rentals higher than those collected by the city government.
Market collectors must immediately issue receipts for every payment, dated the same day, with the corresponding stall number written on the receipt. Failure to comply is grounds for liability for illegal exaction.
City-owned and operated public markets shall not be disposed of, closed, destroyed, sold, or transferred until all vendors are relocated or transferred at the city's expense to another market, with prior notice of at least 120 days to affected vendors.
Cargo vehicles bearing goods for market vendors are allowed to unload their goods for immediate delivery but are prohibited from parking in the market area to sell or dispose of goods to the public or other vendors.