Labella okays resumption of night market in Cebu City

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella says he has allowed the resumption of the night market. | Irene R. Sino Cruz

CEBU CITY, Philippines —Mayor Edgardo Labella said he had ordered the resumption of the night market.

The night market will start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m., Labella said in an interview with reporters Monday afternoon.

However, the mayor said he would no longer allow a private individual to operate the night market.

Read more:Labella on temporary suspension of night market: We want to ensure a better collection system

He also stressed the need to keep the areas clean just like those in Bangkok, Thailand.

He clarified that the Office of the City Markets would manage the operation of the night market.

Labella said that he had tasked the market committee to prepare the areas for the night market.

Read more: PROBE: Colon and Osmeña Blvd vendors cannot return to old spots

He said that the night market would be managed in coordination with the barangays where it would be located.

According to the mayor, they might collect a minimal amount to cover the maintenance costs.

This developed as the displaced street vendors rallied again in front of the Cebu City Hall Monday noon to ask the mayor to fulfill his promise to them.

Basan Amora, one of the spokespersons of the Barug Vendors’ Coalition, said the mayor had promised last week they would be allowed to return to the streets where they used to sell their wares.

Amora also noted that this was the assurance that Senator Bong Go had given them.

The mayor admitted that the senator had urged him to allow the vendors to sell their wares in the streets again.

But he clarified that it would be up to the city government to determine the areas where the vendors could ply their trade.

Meanwhile, Amora noted that the members of Barug Vendors’ Coalition, which is composed of 22 vendors’ associations, could no longer make ends meet.

He noted that the  vendors, who relocated to Tabo sa Banay, along Balintawak St., Cebu City, experienced very low sales.

Amora then urged the city government to consider their plight.

Read more: 250 sidewalk vendors in Cebu City off to Tabo sa Banay

He stressed that the city government should also support them since the city would earn up to P21.6 million from the fees it would collect from the city’s 6,000 vendors.

Wilma Cabo, who heads the Colon vendors group, reiterated their appeal to the city government to allow them to return to their original location.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama fears that the vendors plight will become a social problem for the city. | Irene Sino Cruz

For his part, Vice Mayor Michael Rama warned that the street vendors issue could become a social problem if this would not be resolved.

He refused to make any suggestion as to how this could be resolved, except that there should be human consideration in dealing with the vendors./dbs