Displaced street vendors to be placed in Cebu City’s night market

Colon Street Night Market. | CDN File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The vendors displaced from the recent clearing operations in Colon Street and Osmeña Boulevard will soon be back to their trade as the night market is expected to open before Christmas.

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella promised that they were finalizing the night market regulations and design with the help of the renowned designer, Kenneth Cobonpue.

This is the mayor’s response to the call of the City Council and Vice Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama to hasten the opening of the night market, because this will be relocation site of the 300 vendors that have been displaced from the major thoroughfares in the city following the mandate of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“We will open the night market. We only need to make sure that no one can take advantage of the night market as reports reached me that some people took advantage of the night markets in the past,” said Labella.

Read more: Vice Mayor Rama calls for resumption of Cebu City night market

Labella said the night market will be properly regulated and will benefit primarily those displaced from the clearing operations.

This is the city’s remedy because Labella said he could not allow the street vendors to sell back in their spots.

The Cebu City Legal Office advised against the return of the vendors who were cleared from Colon Street and Osmeña Boulevard on October 20, 2019.

City Legal Officer Rey Gealon said in a text message to CDN Digital that the vendors could not return to their spots on the sidewalks even if they would request to impose regulations on them because the local government unit (LGU) could not lease any part of the road or sidewalks for private use.

The vendors had asked if they could be allowed to go back to their spots for 12 hours a day occupying a small space selling various goods.

However, Gealon said this would violate the memorandum circular of DILG for all LGUs to clear all roads and sidewalks from obstruction.

“The city cannot allow the vendors to return to the sidewalks to sell without violating the law. It is for that basic reason that the City Legal Office have to strongly recommend to the Mayor the denial of their request,” said Gealon.

Labella said despite this, the city were working on providing alternative ways for the vendors to earn because the city could not just leave them without a trade./dbs