Mayor forms task force on ambulant vendors

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has created a task force to look into the possibility of allowing ambulant vendors in the city to resume selling.

“There is hereby formed, organized, and created a Task Force whose main function is to conduct a study looking into the possibility of allowing sidewalk and other ambulant vendors to resume selling within the City of Cebu under the New Normal scenario and to come up with guidelines in doing so,” read Executive Order No. 97.

In the EO, the city government said it understands the plight of the vendors who have lost their source of income for several months now and are eager to get back on their feet.

Since the city was placed under a community quarantine last March, sidewalk and other ambulant vendors have not been allowed to sell their goods to the public.

“There is an appeal from our ambulant vendors to be allowed to sell again. Due to the pandemic, these vendors have lost their main source of livelihood for several months now. I understand their plight, but we also need to find out if permitting them back on the streets would not endanger their health and safety and that of the public,” said Labella in a post on his official Facebook page.

The task force comprises of Councilor David Tumulak as the chairperson; Councilor Renato Osmeña Jr. as the vice-chairperson; and Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE) team Head Raquel Arce, Assistant City Administrator for Economic Enterprise Junine Aragones, Cebu City United Vendors Association Inc. (CCUVA) President Maria Pino, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Josefino Ligan, and Market Administrator Irvin Cabales, among others, as members.

The duties and functions of the task force are to assess and evaluate the existing number of sidewalk and other ambulant vendors in the city who have been displaced when the community quarantine started; recommend to the mayor the viability of allowing these vendors to return to selling; and coordinate with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Cebu City and other relevant agencies.

They will also have to formulate guidelines and procedures on how to effectively reallow ambulant vendors to sell, if found viable to do so; come up with new normal policies and safety standards to be followed by these vendors when already allowed to resell; and monitor compliance of vendors.

“I trust the team to come up with measures that would take into consideration the welfare of everyone concerned,” said Labella. — GAN (FREEMAN)