Vendors in Cebu City received P20,000 worth livelihood kits from the Department of Labor and Employment. | Photo courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Vendors in Cebu City who were displaced from the streets in October 2019 received livelihood assistance kits from the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7).
At least 100 vendors began receiving their P20,000 worth livelihood assistance kits on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, and the distribution will continue until May 28, 2020.
A total of 400 vendors will be receiving the livelihood aid from the national agency. Each kit contains sacks or rice, noodles, canned goods, and other essentials that they can sell or consume.
The vendors were displaced following the mandate of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for all cities and towns to clear the streets and sidewalks from obstructions.
Read: Sidewalk vendors to Cebu City gov’t, DILG: Don’t deprive us of livelihood
At least 500 vendors were displaced in the major thoroughfares of the city following the clearing. Some of them were transferred at F. Gonzales Street or Tabo sa Banay, while others were transferred near the Senior Citizen’s Park.
However, since the beginning of the quarantine, many vendors were not able to sell and they have sought for the assistance from the city government to help them survive.
“Gipaningkamutan ni Mayor Labella pinaagi usab sa tabang ni Secretary Michael Dino sa Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas nga mahatag gyod ang ayuda sa mga vendors nga nawagtangan sa ilang panginabuhian labi na nga lakip sila sa mga labing nagkinahanglan,” said the Cebu City Public Information Office.
Read: Labella to ease up clearing operations after DILG deadline
The city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team has been facilitating the distribution to ensure social distancing.
On May 29, 2020, the city will deliver the remaining DOLE livelihood kits to vendors who are senior citizens and stuck in their homes. /bmjo