PROBE clears stalls of 16 vendors along Arellano Blvd.

CEBU, Philippines - The stalls of 16 sidewalk vendors operating along Arellano Boulevard corner Pelaez Extension were included in the clearing operations conducted by members of the city’s Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement because the structures are considered eyesores.

“Gidaginot pa g’yud tawon mi ni Arce uy nga dia ra man mi unta sa daplin ug dugay na mi dinhi nga naninda. Supporter pa g’yud ko ni Mayor Mike sukad pa sa una. (Arce included us when we have been selling here for a long time and I have been a supporter of Mayor Mike even before),” said one of the affected vendors.

She is referring to PROBE team head Raquel Arce who implemented the order of the mayor to help clear the structures on the sidewalks in line with the city’s beautification program.

Some of the vendors whose stalls were cleared by Arce’s personnel last Friday also used to occupy the area beside the Fort San Pedro public plaza but they were evicted for similar reasons.

The vendors’ stalls which were constructed beside the old Madrigal building along Arellano Boulevard are immediately seen by those coming from Pier 1.

But while Arce’s personnel were able to clear the structures of the 16 sidewalk vendors along Arellano Bulevard, they still failed to act on the complaint against the sidewalk vendors whose stalls are obstructing the passage of vehicles along Legaspi Street beside the Sto. Niño Barangay Hall.

Traffic personnel manning the place confirmed that the said portion of Legaspi Street always experiences traffic congestion and the road becomes narrow because of vehicles parked in the area.

“Kanunay g’yud na nga traffic dihang lugara sir. Kon makuha na ang mga tindahan nga anaa na sa karsada moluag-luag na ang agianan,” the traffic enforcer said (That area is always congested. If the stores along the road will be removed, it would help clear the route.)  (FREEMAN)