TACLOBAN - The Tacloban Market Vendors Forum (TMVF), an umbrella organization composed of 18 vendors associations in the city, has came out in favor of the bid of Tacloban to be reclassified as a highly-urbanized city (HUC).

In a Manifesto of Support, the organization also expressed its gratitude to the mayor for his continuing support to market vendors in the city.

The manifesto, which was signed by TMVF officers, was issued towards the end of the TMVF General Assembly held in this city, recently.

Ray Rodriguez, chairman of the TMVF, said that their organization issued the manifesto to show its strong support to the bid.

`Iginpapakita namon, pinaagi hini nga manifesto, it amon hul-os nga suporta hit pagkonbertar hit syudad ngadto ha usa nga HUC, dara nga nakikita namon tanan nga tipakadto ini hit mas progresibo nga Tacloban,` Rodriguez stressed.

`Nanawagan liwat kami ha iba nga mga vendors ngan mga molopyo dinhi ha Tacloban nga suportahan ini nga pagigin HUC hit syudad,` he added.

The TMVF, which counts more than 1,000 members, is composed of the Tacloban Small Fish Vendors Association, Tacloban Rolling Snack Vendors Cooperative, Cut Flowers Association, Tiange Fruit Vendors Association, SEVEMCO, Tacloban Davao Association, Tacloban Quezon Boulevard Vendors Credit Coop, and Agora Annex Vendors Credit Cooperative.

Also under the TMVF are the Tacloban Main Bldg. Vegetable Section Credit Coop, Tacloban Meat Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Tarcela Vendors Association, Tacloban Chicken Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative, North Wing Bldg. Stall Holders Association, Tacloban Native Delicacies Cooperative, Tacloban Dried and Salted Fish Association, Tacloban Banana Multi-Purpose, and the Tacloban Small Vendors Credit Cooperative.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez is pushing for the conversion of Tacloban into an HUC on the ground that it will bring more investors and further economic development, not only to the city, but the region, as a whole.

He pointed out that under the law, the city has already met all the requirement s which is 200, 000 population and an annual income of P50 million. Tacloban has a population of more than 217,000 with an income of over P600 million.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had issued a proclamation on October 4 declaring Tacloban as an HUC. The proclamation officially takes effect only upon ratification in a plebiscite scheduled to be held on Dec. 18 this year.

If the `yes` vote prevails in the coming plebiscite, Tacloban will become the region’s first and the nations 34th HUC.