It has been more than a week since the viral Virgin Island, Panglao 26k overpricing fiasco has hit social media. The government issued an order to cease all market transactions and remove all food stalls on the famous sandbar. Mayor Edgardo “Boy” Arcay decided to remove all structures on the sandbar, and it was received with positive feedback! Tourists who have visited the island after the overpricing crisis have commented on how beautiful the sandbar is after all the food stalls were removed from the premises. This comment is expected because the sandbar looked like a glorified marketplace when food stalls were still structured.
This decision might seem harsh to some, but let us remember that the vendors were in the wrong. Not to mention the overpriced products they were selling, they also did not have business permits. Some say they were only trying to make a living, and I agree. However, we are also trying to make ends meet, yet we do not trick our customers into buying over-expensive products. Some also ask what the vendors will do now that they cannot provide for themselves anymore. If they can sell food on an island that must be transported by boat, they can survive elsewhere.
We sincerely believe that if only the vendors sold their food products reasonably, they would not have been evicted. Let this editorial be a reminder for us to be mindful of our actions and that consequences for our actions always come last. (MIDB)
