Ordinance to regulate Cebu City’s street vendors pushed

The Cebu City government moved the displaced street vendors to the Tabo sa Banay on F. Gonzales Street last September 28, 2019. This is in line with the directive of the Department of Interior and Local Government for all local government units to clear their streets of vendors by September 30, 2019. | CDN Digital File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Council’s Committee on Laws is currently reviewing an ordinance that will regulate street vendors and market vendors without stalls.

Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo proposed an ordinance to form the Vendor’s Welfare Council following the recent road clearing operations mandated by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that displaced at least 300 vendors.

“There is an urgent need to protect the vendors from being deprived of their source of livelihood as well as the rights of consumers and citizens from the negative effects of the vending industry,” said Guardo.

In the proposed ordinance, the Vendor’s Welfare Council shall serve as the body tasked to create policies that would protect all registered vendors in the city.

The welfare council will be chaired by the mayor or his duly appointed representative.

Its members will be composed of representatives from the City Council, the Office of the Market Administrator, the City Transportation Office (CTO), Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team, and the accredited vendor’s association of the city.

The Vendors Welfare Council will also have the responsibility to check and regulate the vendors in the city.

The proposed ordinance also stipulates the requirements for all street vendors and market vendors without a stall to complete so they will be officially registered in the city’s database.

The vendors will need a barangay permit to sell in the area they will choose to set up their stall; an endorsement from a vendor’s association; and a duly-complied registration form that will be submitted to the Office of the Market Administrator for approval.

Upon approval of the Market Administrator, the vendor will be issued a business permit that is renewable every year.

But not all sidewalks can be viable spots for selling as there are areas that have been declared as no-selling zones such as Colon Street and Osmeña Boulevard.

Guardo’s proposed ordinance also emphasized that sidewalk selling is not allowed along main thoroughfares.

Added to the lists of tasks of the Vendors Welfare Council is identifying the selling zones of the vendors.

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

Guardo said the ordinance also aims to institutionalize th existing vendors’ associations credited by the city government.

Currently, there are 800 vendors in Cebu City that are registered under accredited vendors’ associations.

At least 300 of these vendors used to sell at the sidewalks of Colon Street and Osmeña Boulevard.

They have been displaced due to road clearing operations.

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

The displaced vendors were transferred to F. Gonzales Street and the Senior Citizen’s Park.  / celr