The night market at Colon Street, as shown in this Dec. 29, 2010, file photo. The night market in downtown Cebu City will be temporarily suspended until such time the vendors and Mayor Edgardo Labella meet to discuss operations guidelines.
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Public Restoration, Order, and Beautification (Probe) team temporarily suspended the night market operations around Barangay Ermita, including in Colon Street, here.
According to Racquel Arce, head of the Probe team, Mayor Edgardo Labella wants to meet first with the street vendors to discuss the operation guidelines of the night market before continuing its operations.
Arce assured the night market will return once the mayor has met the street vendors.
“Walay night market nga ipahigayon kung wala ang briefing with the vendors and with the mayor,” said Arce. (There will be no night market until after the briefing with the vendors and with the mayor.)
The meeting was initially set on Friday morning, July 5, 2019, but the mayor was still on his way back to Cebu from a short trip abroad.
She added that the mayor wanted to meet the street vendors to discuss how the city can improve the night market culture, as this has been a practice since 2007.
Arce said there will not be a lot of changes in the system compared to the previous administration and the permits will remain to be renewable on a monthly basis.
The mayor actually plans to extend the night market to the whole stretch of Colon Street from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight on Fridays. /bmjo