Little Manila stories

Seoul’s 'Little Manila' Faces Closure

By Kwon Mee-yoo, Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporters Jongno District Office in Seoul has told the Filipino community to stop holding a market in Hyehwa-dong, citing complaints from passers-by and residents. The marketplace, dubbed "Little Manila," first emerged in 1997, and takes place every Sunday for Filipinos after attending a mass at the Hyehwa Catholic Church. About 1,200 to 2,000 Filipinos gather at the marketplace, which some consider as a fine example of Korea's racial harmony. There are about 46,000 Filipinos in Korea, forming the fifth largest ethnic group, following Chinese, Americans, Vietnamese and Japanese. Father Alvin Parantar, chaplain of the Hyehwa-dong Filipino Catholic Community, who acts as a representative for the ethnic community, confirmed the district office's request, adding that it was like the district kicking them out for its own convenience without providing an alternative site for their gathering. "The reasons they gave up us was one, they received complaints from neighbors and pedestrians in the area; two, there were concerns about cleanliness and order; three, they want to redevelop the sidewalk and include a waterfall wall in the area; and four, they want to transfer the market to a new multicultural market," the priest told The Korea Times over the phone. "It's a Philippine way of life. We go to church, then go to the market to buy provisions and meet friends. It's an expression of Philippine culture. The national government has a policy about supporting multiculturalism in Korea, but there seems to be a contradiction with the district office's plans. The church and the market should go together and not be separated," he said. Outside the church, there are usually 16 vendors selling Philippine products and cooked food. Many Filipinos living not just in Seoul, but also from the provinces, flock to the market to buy products from their home country Parantar noted the problems raised by the district office can be addressed by the vendors at the market. "The problems that they raised can be resolved by talking to the vendors. They are willing to cooperate. If they are concerned about the cleanliness and orderliness in the area, they can address the problems. If they want to redevelop the area again, they can integrate the Philippine market according to their plans," Parantar said. The district office said they have received civil petitions from the neighborhood and they have to take some measures against the Philippine market. "There were many complaints from the pedestrians and residents. There also is a possibility of accidents as Filipinos flock out of the church after mass into car lanes," said Lee Jong-ju of the district's construction management division. "Some vendors occupy more than eight meters on the street and it causes an inconvenience to pedestrians." The district also connected the move to the eviction of other street vendors in Jongno, who were "moved" to "specialized areas" away from the street. "All street stalls have vanished from Jongno and some people think the same rule should be applied to the Philippine market," he said. "We talked about the situation with the representatives of the Philippine community three times and gave them some alternatives," Lee said. The district suggested moving to the grounds of Dongsung High School, but the school refused to participate. Another idea was shifting it to an area in front of the Catholic University of Korea campus, however, it has failed to respond to the suggestion. "For the best, we want them to move into the multicultural street which is going to open in Nakwon-dong in March. However, they rebuffed the idea since it is isolated from their church and community," Lee said. He added that the district will try not to use physical force. "The best way would be to transfer them to a designated area, but otherwise we are going to crack down on the market from March," he said. meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Envoy Seeks to Avert Closure of 'Little Manila' Philippine Ambassador Luis Cruz By Kwon Mee-yoo, Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporters The Philippine Embassy in Seoul is hoping to avert the closure of the "Little Manila" market that takes place every Sunday in Hyehwa-dong in central Seoul. Residents and storeowners have complained of traffic, disorderliness and garbage problems in the market area, according to the Jongno District Office, leading to its decision to close the market. Philippine Ambassador to Korea Luis Cruz believes these issues should first be worked out through discussions between the vendors and the residents around Hyehwa, not by immediate closure. "Our point is both ends should meet. ... There can be discussions with vendors for alternative solutions and to address the issues the Jongno residents raised. Such issues like traffic and the garbage can be addressed. The vendors can make efforts to clean the area and create some order," he told The Korea Times in a phone interview. For instance, Cruz suggested that vendors be provided with store carts that can make the market look cleaner and more organized. Currently, vendors at "Little Manila" usually place their products in boxes or on the sidewalks, causing congestion for pedestrians. Cruz said embassy officials will also meet with Jongno District officials to clarify the matter and discuss alternatives solutions to the problems raised by the residents. He also said the Filipino community leaders should talk to the vendors to work out a system to make the market more orderly. There are currently 16 vendors, selling Philippine delicacies, canned goods, noodles and magazines, clustered in the area leading to the Hyehwa Catholic Church. Unlike the other vendors evicted from Jongno's streets, the Philippine market is only open for around six hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. once a week on Sundays. It first emerged in 1997, as many Filipinos gathered in the area to attend mass at Hyehwa Catholic Church on Sundays. It has since become an unofficial gathering place for the Filipino community in Seoul and the nearby provinces. Cruz emphasized that the market cannot be separated from the church, since it is a way of life for many Filipinos. "It's a place where Filipinos gather to meet other Filipinos. It's like social networking. It's also about Philippine culture. If people go to the Philippines, they'll see that outside the churches, there are markets and a lively fiesta atmosphere," Cruz added. The ambassador also noted the fact that Korean tourism Web sites and guidebooks have included the Philippine market as a tourist attraction and as an example of Korea's growing multiculturalism. "The government is pursuing programs for multiculturalism. I think this market is the Filipino community's contribution to multiculturalism in Seoul. The patrons at the market are not just Filipinos but also foreigners, Asians, Caucasians and other nationalities who go there to experience Philippine culture," Cruz said. meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr cathy@koreatimes.co.kr Filipinos Collect Signatures to Save 'Little Manila' By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter While most of Seoul was practically deserted Sunday because of the Lunar New Year holiday, the Hyehwa-dong Rotary in Jongno, Seoul, was bustling with activity as hundreds of Filipinos shopped for food and other Philippine products at the street market. However, the Jongno District Office's plan to close the market, also known as "Little Manila," by March, has caused concern in the Filipino community. "We don't understand why they want to close the market and move it. It's only every Sunday, and it's only for a few hours. I don't think there are a lot of problems like they've been saying. If there are any problems, we can always try to fix it first. But they shouldn't just close the market," said John Paul, a Filipino vendor at the market since 2005. Filipino community leaders have even launched a signature campaign to save the "Little Manila" market, which has been described as a "home away from home" for the 46,000 Filipinos living in Korea. Father Alvin Parantar, chaplain of the Hyehwa-dong Filipino Catholic Community, said they have written a petition urging Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon to retain and improve the market. "We are not in favor of the relocation of the Filipino market. We are appealing that the present Filipino market should be retained with policies regarding order, cleanliness, pedestrians and traffic, and that the development plan of the area should integrate the promotion of multiculturalism," the petition stated. The petition also highlighted the Filipino market's contribution to multiculturalism in Korea. While the majority of market-goers are Filipinos, there are also a number of Koreans and foreigners who are visiting the market to sample Philippine food such as barbecued meat, stir-fried noodles, fried banana and rice cakes. "Even Koreans, who have been to the Philippines, come here to buy pancit (stir-fried noodles) or balut (duck egg)," said another Filipino vendor, who did not want to be identified. Several vendors interviewed by The Korea Times expressed their willingness to cooperate and make improvements, in order to prevent the market's closure or transfer. The Jongno District Office had cited complaints from residents and storeowners regarding the cleanliness, orderliness and traffic in the area, as reasons why the market should be closed. "We're aware that there are some complaints because there are really a lot of people in the street, especially when the mass ends around 3 p.m. But it's only a once a week market, and we're more than willing to cooperate with any changes they want us to make," said Wilbert, a Filipino vendor who lives in Bucheon. Many Filipino workers from different parts of Korea travel to Seoul on Sundays just to go to church and shop at the market. The Filipino EPS Workers Association (FEWA) is one of the organizations trying to gather signatures for the petition to save the market. FEWA President Marcy Serdena said the market has become an important part of Filipinos' way of life in Korea. "We go here every Sunday, even if it is far, just to go to church, buy food and meet other Filipinos. ... I think they should first try to make sure the market is orderly and impose discipline among the vendors. This can be resolved through discussions, and not immediate closure," Serdena said. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr ' 'Little Manila' to Stay On By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter "Little Manila," the market for the Filipino community held every Sunday, is being allowed to stay at Hyehwa-dong, at least for now. Jongno District Office in Seoul has informed the Philippine Embassy it will not push through with its original plan to relocate the market from its location outside the Hyehwa-dong Catholic Church to the new multicultural market in Nakwon-dong this month. "They will not push through with the relocation plan this March, pending on the improvements (in the market), such as the new size and designs of the market stalls that were being discussed together with the vendors," Father Alvin Parantar, chaplain of the Hyehwa-dong Filipino Catholic Community and representative for the ethnic community, told The Korea Times. The Jongno District Office confirmed the plan under the spirit of promoting co-existence with the Filipino community. "It is best if they move to another place as the current market is open illegally," Lee Jong-ju of the district said. "However, we will not force them to move out as they are trying to improve the market in a clean and orderly way. For instance, they stopped setting up stalls behind taxi stands." Parantar said the community greatly appreciates Jongno District Office's consideration, even though there is no final decision on the matter. Jongno officials have warned that they will be closely monitoring developments at the Philippine market, before deciding on the fate of the market. "When these visible developments of the market have been done, the Jongno office will discuss the issue with Seoul City office. However, they warned that if the vendors fail to follow the proposed changes, Jongno District office will raise the issue of relocation once again," Parantar said. The Korea Times reported last Feb. 11 that the office planned to relocate the market by March, citing complaints about traffic congestion, garbage and disorderliness in the area from passers-by and residents. However, the Filipino community objected to the plan and organized signature campaigns to save the market, which was described as an expression of Philippine way of life. In response to the problems cited by Jongno District Office, the vendors submitted proposals to improve the market. Among others, they proposed reducing the size of the "selling" areas to ease the pedestrian traffic, and introducing actual stalls with Philippine cultural designs. Parantar said the implementation of these proposals will be further discussed among the 16 vendors who sell Philippine products at the Sunday market. "The ball is on our court now. This is not easy because there is internal conflict among the vendors, which is understandable because of competition. We still need to fully convince them to stick to the changes in the market's set up. We don't know where the budget will come from either," he said. Nonetheless, Parantar is glad the Jongno officials have recognized the importance of the Philippine market not just to the Filipino community, but for Seoul. "The Hyehwa-dong community and the Philippine embassy are firming up details for the implementation of the proposals. We hope to gather more cooperation and support from everyone who wanted to see 'Little Manila' thriving and improving into something that we can all be proud of," Parantar said. The Philippine marketplace, called "Little Manila," first emerged in 1997 and takes place every Sunday for Filipinos who attend mass at the Hyehwa Catholic Church. About 1,200 to 2,000 Filipinos visit the marketplace, which some consider as a fine example of Korea's racial harmony. There are about 46,000 Filipinos in Korea, forming the fifth largest ethnic group, following Chinese, Americans, Vietnamese and Japanese. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr