Displaced Cebu City vendors to receive P20K cash aid for high city gov’t ratings in clearing ops

The vendors along the sidewalk of B. Rodriguez Street will be regulated by the PROBE team. CDN Digital photo | St. Benilde Intern Enrique Bejar

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The 800 registered sidewalk vendors in Cebu City, who were displaced by the recent road clearing operations of the city government, will receive P20,000 financial assistance each from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

This developed after Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella asked the DOLE to help those vendors, who lost their livelihood due to the clearing operations.

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

Labella said in a press briefing on Friday, October 11, that he personally lobbied for the assistance to the DOLE to help the vendors, who had not been able to make a living for more than two weeks now.

The P20,000 financial assistance is added capital for the vendors so they may able to return back to their businesses or invest in another type of business other than sidewalk vending.

The mayor said only the 800 vendors registered in the city could avail of the financial assistance as they would be the ones who had spent years selling in the sidewalks and who had paid their regulation fees to the city.

This announcement of the mayor came amid the high ratings that Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) had given to the city for complying with the road clearing operations.

Read more: DILG Cebu starts LGU compliance audit on Año’s road clearing order

On Thursday, October 10, 2019, DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño confirmed that Cebu City got a high rating on the validation inspection for the road clearing.

He also said that most chartered and component cities in Central Visayas had been compliant to the directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear the roads within 60 days.

Read more: Cebu City incurs violations in DILG-7 road clearing assessment

Diño reminded all chief executives of cities and their barangay chiefs that they would be apprehended if they would fail to maintain or sustain the clear streets.

Labella said he was glad that the DILG-recognized Cebu City’s streets, since many stakeholders helped in the process. 

He especially thanked the sidewalk vendors for cooperating in the road clearing even if it meant they would lose their spots.

The mayor assured that the city was working on providing an alternative means of livelihood for the vendors and a relocation spot for them as well.

“Dili lang sa nako i-elaborate ang among plan pero nagcoordinate na mi with Kenneth Cobonpue for the design sa atong stalls (I will not reveal what we are planning, but he have coordinated with Kenneth Cobonpue for the design of the stalls),” said the mayor.

Kenneth Cobonpue is a Cebuano industrial designer known for his unique designs integrating natural materials through handmade production processes.

Labella already said in previous statements that he want to build a tenement market to house all displaced vendors./dbs