MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – The Mandaue City Enforcement Unit (MCEU) has denied the request of ambulant vendors to allow them to sell food on the sidewalk outside the Mandaue City Public Market and a supermarket in barangay Centro this Christmas and New Year.
The Mandaue City Enforcement Unit (MCEU) will not allow sidewalk vendors to ply their trade in front of the Mandaue City Public Market this Christmas and New Year. |CDN Digital file photo
Edwin Jumao-as, MCEU head, said that as of December 23, 2020, about 15 ambulant vendors went to their office and asked permission to sell food such as fruits, chicken, fish, among others on the sidewalk outside the city’s public market and a supermarket.
Jumao-as explained that doing so would be unfair for the stallholders inside the Mandaue City Public Market who are paying P70 to P90 every day in stall fees.
He said that these stallholders were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and this holiday season is their only time to earn a little profit.
Jumao-as is also worried that allowing the vendors to use the sidewalks might cause overcrowding and the neglect of health protocols such as social distancing.
“Kung daghan sila maninda, wala gyud ni social distancing ako lang gyung gi focus diring merkado. Kahibaw sad ka nato nga usa ray mananghid niya musunod daghan,” said Jumao-as.
The MCEU has also temporarily stopped their road clearing operations to focus on monitoring the city’s public market in anticipation of the dense traffic of shoppers visiting the market now that Christmas is fast approaching.
“Full force akong mga tawo ugma, 4:30 in the morning until 9 sa gabie,” Jumao-as said. /rcg