DILG 'okays' return of vaxxed street vendors

CEBU, Philippines —  The move to allow vaccinated sidewalk vendors to return to the streets of Cebu City had the blessings from the Department of Interior and Local Government, according to the head of the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team.

Raquel Arce said the move was based upon a resolution from the Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa

(GASA) Board chaired by City Councilor Philip Zafra.

Arce, in an interview yesterday, said vendors have specific locations and posts where they can sell along

Colon Street, Osmeña Boulevard, Manalili, and other parts of uptown and downtown Cebu. They can only display their wares in these areas.

Fully vaccinated street vendors can display their goods on a daily basis starting yesterday while the partially vaccinated individuals can sell at least four times a week.

Sanctions will be enforced if anyone will be caught violating these provisions.

Arce said that before this scheme was implemented, the GASA Board, together with other city officials, consulted and sought DILG’s approval for the proposal.

The "no vaccine, no selling" on the streets policy was agreed upon by GASA members through the leaders of the different vendors’ groups involved.

This was after DILG had not allowed vendors to sell on the streets for some time now.

 It was learned that there are over 1,500 street vendors enlisted under GASA, but no figures are available as to how many of them have already been vaccinated.

Even with this development, vendors are expected to continue to observe the minimum health protocols such as wearing of facemasks and face shields, observing physical distancing, regular washing of hands, and keeping their respective places clean and sanitized.

The new rules do cover ambulant vendors in Carbon Market as they are under have a separate policy, said Arce. — Sanden J. Anadia, JMD (FREEMAN)