SINCE its opening in September, Fusion Alley along Delos Reyes Street in P. Noval has quickly become a popular food destination. The food park, lined with street food vendors and stalls, has attracted students and locals.
However, the influx of visitors has raised concerns among nearby dormitories, residents and regular commuters about safety, sanitation, and street congestion.
Journalism junior Milithea Pedro said living in the area had become increasingly inconvenient for dorm residents due to poor sanitation and noise.
“Hindi lahat ng food establishments doon may sariling basurahan. ‘Yong pinaghugasan nila, tinatapon lang sa daan, tapos kapag umaga, may amoy talaga. Dagdagan mo pa ‘yong noise kasi hanggang madaling araw ‘yan,” Pedro said.
According to a Fusion Alley management staff member, maintaining cleanliness is part of Fusion Alley’s policies, with street sweepers employed to clean daily. There are designated garbage disposal points and regular trash collection.
“‘Yong kalinisan naman, mini-maintain naman siya. We have two flushings every month,” the staff member added.
The management said, however, that noise in the crowded street was unavoidable.
“Pero ‘yong general noise, like ‘yong mga customers or visitors natin na maingay, hindi na siya controlled,” they said.
Psychology junior Jenaz Jubinal said the street had become difficult to navigate.
“Super hirap dumaan tapos sobrang sikip, sobrang ingay kapag hapon na. Automatic na hindi na ako dadaan doon kahit pa may way doon pa-school na mas madali sana,” Jubinal said.
In September, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso allowed street food vendors to set up stalls on Delos Reyes Street at the request of vendors, which Domagoso shared on his Facebook page.
Sidewalk vendors across Manila were displaced after being barred from selling on roads under Domagoso’s “zero vendor policy,” aimed at easing traffic congestion on some of the capital’s roads.
The city, under Domagoso, proposed to put up “Fusion Alley,” aiming to exhibit the food culture of the city’s capital, in August.
READ: UST-area vendors call for compassion, fair regulation amid Manila’s crackdown | The Varsitarian
“Ang konsepto po ng Ugbo 2.0 ay ang pagtatalaga ng lugar in the heart of U-Belt kung saan maaaring maitayo ang isang food district na makikinabang ang ating mga vendor at makapagbibigay ng dagdag na kabuhayan para sa kanila,” Domagoso said in a Facebook post.
Fusion Alley is also referred to as “Ugbo 2.0,” a reference to the Ugbo food hub in Tondo district, a popular al fresco food park during the latter part of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Residents, businesses adjust
Despite the local government’s initiatives to help vendors through the food hub, residents and businesses in the area do not share the same sentiment.
Star Garden Dormitory reported that several tenants had reconsidered their stay due to the food park’s operations.
“‘Yong mga parents din, nagte-terminate na ng contract. Siguro nasa 15 na ‘yong nagsasabi. ‘Yong iba, tatapusin na lang nila ‘yong kontrata kasi ‘yong security deposit nila malaki. Mahirap sa side namin,” Star Garden Dormitory administrative head JM Mendoza told the Varsitarian.
Pedro said she was sometimes forced to adjust and resort to online food deliveries for dinner to avoid the inconveniences of navigating Fusion Alley.
“Para hindi na ako lalabas pa. Kasi gawa ng usok at ihaw, ayoko naman na mag-amoy usok at ihaw pag tulog,” she said.
Jubinal would rather take alternative routes, regardless of distance.
“Iniiwasan kong dumaan doon. If I have to take the longer route without having to go through Delos Reyes—which was a street I loved to explore before—gagawin ko. Feeling ko kasi mas abala kapag doon pa ako dadaan: stress, safety and the like,” she said.
Tensions
Fusion Alley’s rise has highlighted tensions between the growth of local businesses and the daily needs of the community.
Students and residents are calling for measures to address noise, sanitation and safety while allowing the food park to continue operating.
On Sept. 8, the dormitory filed a petition, signed by 80 individuals, with Manila City Hall, complaining formally about congestion, blocked pathways, sanitation, and safety risks.
“‘Yong right-of-way namin, hindi na namin nagagamit ‘yong lugar. Kasi nga supposed to be parking space ‘yan at dapat daanan ng mga tao. So kapag may sasakyan ka at andyan na sila (vendors), nahihirapan ‘yong customers,” Mendoza added.
Mendoza said they were not consulted prior to the food park’s opening.
“Kami po, hindi kami papayag. Ikaw ba namang papayag ka sa harap ng bahay mo? Even residents, papayag ka ba? Diba? So sabi nila, miscommunication and so on,” she added.
Decrease in sales
Some vendors who had been in the area long before Ugbo 2.0 reported a significant decrease in sales after the influx of new vendors.
Food stall I-Chicken staff member Myldred Sydeco told the Varsitarian they experienced a 30% drop in sales.
“Almost 30% ang nawala,” Sydeco said, referring to the decline in business as well as customers.
However, a staff member working for the management, who asked not to be named, told the Varsitarian the perception that other vendors were prioritized was a “misconception.”
The staff member explained that stall owners from nearby places were first offered slots, and only after their response were the remaining slots given to other street food vendors.
Stalls located in Fusion Alley pay up to P4,000 annually for a permit from the city government, as well as a P150 daily service fee.
According to the staff member, the service fee is used to subsidize waste collection management, maintenance of stalls and payment of street sweepers in the area.
Despite ordinances such as minimizing loud noise beyond 10 p.m. and police presence in the area, residents were unsatisfied.
“Tingin ba nila ‘yong mga tao na kumakain, pupunta pa du’n sa kabilang dulo para magtapon sa basurahan?” Mendoza said.
Pedro also pointed to hazards at the food hub.
“Syempre wala silang kitchen na separate, so usually ‘yong kitchen nila sa likod. ‘Yong mga gas nila nando’n. E paano kung nag-malfunction? Syempre sasabog,” Pedro said.
For Jubinal, a frequent user of motorcycle-hailing apps, even motorists are frustrated by the road closure due to the food hub.
“Kapag nakakapag-book ako, nire-reklamo din ng drivers ‘yong abala. At sa kanila ko rin naririnig ‘yong napapagalitan pa sila ng enforcers kahit nasa tama naman daw sila,” Jubinal said.
Resolution 297 of the Manila City Council backed the road closure to give way for the Fusion Alley food hub, supposedly in recognition of its capacity to uplift lives and improve the quality of living for citizens in the area.
