Sinulog vendors must register first

Vendors who want to sell their wares in next year’s Sinulog Festival route must first register at the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) at Cebu City Hall for accreditation. Only mobile vendors of bottled mineral water are exempted from this Executive Order.
CDN FILE PHOTO

Vendors who wish to do business within the Sinulog route during the festival next month can start registering at Cebu City Hall.

According to Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) operations chief Genevieve Alcoseba, the registration is required so that vendors can sell within the Sinulog mardi gras and procession routes which include Osmeña Blvd. and Gen. Maxilom Ave. among others.

The registration, which is being done at the DWUP office in City Hall, started yesterday and will continue until December 20. It will be suspended for a week and will resume on December 27 to 29.

“That would be the only time they can register. For those that won’t be able to register, mangayo na lang mi ug dispensa daan (forgive us) but we won’t be adding more dates. As much as we want to register the vendors, we also have to do ocular inspection after the registration,” Alcoseba said.

Ocular inspection will follow after the registration period and will continue until January. Their office will then be producing the IDs. Vendors will have to pay around P200 for the IDs and official receipts (OR) from the city. Alcoseba said the amount to be paid depends on the type of products that the vendors will be selling.

The ID and OR will be their proof that they are authorized to sell during the Sinulog Festival weekend.

The DWUP is expecting at least 2,000 vendors to register for the Sinulog since the route of the mardi gras involves busy thoroughfares.

During the first day of registration yesterday, at least 100 vendors already processed their registration.

Alcoseba said the city is prioritizing vendors who are from Cebu City so that they can earn during the festivities.

The registration was required by the city after receiving complaints that some legitimate vendors were overshadowed by unregistered and ambulant vendors during the Sinulog Festival in previous years.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the registration is part of the executive order he signed for stricter rules and guidelines for next year’s Sinulog.
During his press conference yesterday, the mayor clarified though that there is an exception under the policy.

“If you’re selling bottled water and you’re mobile, you’re not putting up a stand or anything, you don’t need a permit. Why? Because everybody needs bottled water in Sinulog,” he told reporters.

He clarified that this exemption is only for the selling of clear bottled water and not other colored beverages.