Vendors occupy the sidewalk of B. Rodriguez Street in Cebu City. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — All vendors in Cebu City are advised to already get their COVID-19 jabs.
The Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement (PROBE) Team said on Wednesday, October 20, that only vaccinated vendors will be allowed to sell on designated vending areas in the city.
This policy is based on Resolution No. o4, Series of 2021 that was recently released by the Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa (GASA) office, says PROBE Team Chief Raquel Arce.
PROBE and GASA are the designated offices of the Cebu City government tasked to monitor the presence of vendors and mendicants on city streets.
Stalls assigned to vendors who remain unvaccinated will be forfeited and will be awarded to already vaccinated members of their organization.
Arce said GASA’s resolution was crafted based on recommendations coming from the different vendors associations in the city.
According to the GASA resolution, only the registered vendors who have also been vaccinated will be allowed to sell on the sidewalks of Colon Street, Osmeña Boulevard, Magallanes Street, Xiamen Street, and other authorized areas in the city.
“Same gihapon katong stall nila nga two-by-two nga dapat level sa poste. Kung wala sila navaccinate, dili gyod sila makabaligya,” said Arce.
PROBE and GASA officials, Arce said, met with some of the sidewalk vendors on Tuesday, October 19, to brief them of the city’s “No vaccine, No vending” policy.
A total of 1, 540 sidewalks vendors are set to resume their regulated occupancy of the city’s sidewalks in the coming days.
In addition to the vaccination requirement, vendors will also be asked to observe health protocols like social distancing and regular disinfection.
Anyone caught violating any of these regulations will lose the privilege to sell on the sidewalks.
They will be prevented from selling pending investigation of their offense and the permits issued by City Hall will be revoked.
Regulated sidewalk vending is a policy that has been approved by the Department of Interior and Local Government Unit (DILG) based on the recommendation of the office of the mayor. / dcb