With night market closed, vendors allowed to temporarily sell along sidewalks

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The night market in Colon Street here will be closed for a month while the city is in general community quarantine due to the coronavirus. 

This will affect at least 100 vendors selling in the night market every Mondays to Fridays from 6 pm to 12 midnight. 

In order to cushion the impact of the night market’s closure, the Cebu City government has decided to allow the temporary return of the vendors to the sidewalks daily. 

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the vendors will be allowed to sell daily from 5 am to 8 pm. Once the curfew begins, the vendors should also close down their stalls. 

The vendors will be regulated as they need to follow social distancing. Vendors should have alcohol and sanitizers ready for their customers for disinfection. 

The Cebu City government is looking into providing assistance to the vendors whether financially or in kind.

“Nakakakita ko sa kalisod rung panahona. Magmeeting mi aron mahatagang financial assistance ang mga vendors, drivers. Magkahiusa ta, utong ta aning coronavirus,” said the mayor. 

(I see the difficulties of the time. We will be meeting today to discuss how we can give financial assistance to the vendors, drivers. Let us be united, we have to hold on until the end of the coronavirus.)

To further regulate the city’s common commerce, the Carbon Market Bagsakan will only be open from 3 am to 6 am and 5 pm to 8 pm every day to prevent continuous flow of workers from the provinces into the market without disrupting entry of the products. 

The bagsakan is where raw goods are being delivered to the Carbon Market and is also where other vendors from other city markets source their goods. 

Farmers and delivery services of goods are encouraged not to stay long at the Carbon Market to keep them safe from the virus. 

The market will still be open to the public but will follow the curfew rules and the special schedule of the bagsakan. /bmjo