Vendors told to pack up or face clearing

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government gave 457 sidewalk vendors until noon of Sunday, September 29, to vacate their respective spots or be included in a massive clearing operation that day.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is determined to push through with the clearing of sidewalk vendors to give the sidewalks back to the pedestrians.

This is in line with Memorandum Circular 2019-121 issued by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) giving all local government units 60 calendar days to reclaim public roads from private use to ease traffic as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The areas in Cebu City that will be cleared on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., are Colon Street, Osmeña Boulevard, and A. Soriano Street.

Cebu City's Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement (PROBE) head Raquel Arce confirmed that they have provided relocation areas for the sidewalk vendors.

Those along Colon Street and Osmeña Boulevard will be relocated at Tabo sa Banay on P. Gullas Street or near Senior Citizens Park, while those on A. Soriano will be moved near the SM City Cebu area.

“Walay panginabuhian nga maundang. Only aduna'y kausaban (No one will lose their livelihood. But there will be changes),” said Arce.

Arce said that the clearing operations should have happened yesterday, but the sidewalk vendors appealed to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) so they were given an extension until Sunday.

Labella said that the clearing operations are “the right thing to do,” and, in fact, should have been done “a long time ago.”

“We will make them (sidewalk vendors) understand. If they will protest, so be it. What can we do?” said Labella.

If sidewalk vending is still ongoing in the mentioned areas even after Sunday, the clearing will continue.

Arce said that the cleared areas should be sustained and maintained by the barangay. — JMD (FREEMAN)