Appeal to Cebu City gov’t: Don’t abandon vendors affected by V-hire terminal shutdown

Brgy dad fears that these vendors, who are drug surrenderers, will return to the illegal drug trade

This is the ‘V-hire terminal’ in Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City that the city government shut down. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A barangay councilor in Kamagayan has appealed to the Cebu City government for assistance on behalf of the terminal vendors affected by the city government’s decision to shut down the southbound van-for-hire (V-hire) terminal in the barangay.

Kamagayan barangay councilor Roy Avila, in an interview with CDN Digital on Thursday, May 4, 2023, appealed to the city government not to abandon the vendors who depend on their livelihood from the terminal’s operations.

Why he made appeal

“Kung gamiton sa city [ang lot], wa g’yod mi problema kung naa silay project. Ang amo lang, ipahimutang ang mga tawo namo, especially mga drug surrenderers ni. Problema ni sa Cebu City g’yod. So, mao na ako concern diha,” siad Avila on why he made the appeal to the city government.

(If the city is going to use it [the lot], we have no problem with that if they have a project. What we want is that they make sure that the people affected would be taken care of, especially that they are drug surrenderers. It would then be a problem of Cebu City. So that is just my concern here.)

“Intact lang [unta] ang mga tawo…hatagan nila og alternative kung asa sila ipahimutang. Kay kami sa barangay ma-problema g’yod mi ani nila kung mubalik ni sila [into illegal drug activities], problema g’yod ni sa Cebu City,” he added.

(The people should have been intact…they should have given  an alternative on where they will be placed. Because we here in the barangay, this really will become our problem if they return [into illegal drug activities], this will be a problem to Cebu City.)

Terminal was operating illegally

The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) led by its head Raquel Arce, shut down the V-hire terminal last April 28.

The city government, which owns the lot, however, maintained that the terminal there was operating illegally, without the required accreditation.

READ: As v-hire begins transfer to Cebu South Bus, vendors express concern

Meanwhile, Lawyer Collin Rosell, city administrator, said it was difficult to extend what was illegal, and doing so would only mean that the city was acknowledging the illegal operations existing in the property.

“If ever motouch ta ana, then it has to stop right away because people cannot tolerate illegality,” he said.

(If we touch on that, then it has to stop right away because people cannot tolerate illegality.)

According to Rosell, the city’s priority now is to settle and restore the comfort for the public transportation sector.

He said that a shuttle bus would be deployed in Kamagayan to accommodate southbound passengers going to the ‘original’ V-hire terminal in SM Seaside.

Livelihood programs

Rosell also said that they would be talking with the affected vendors with the city’s plan to integrate them into its existing livelihood programs.

“These are livelihoods for them. It’s just that they are victims of circumstance. Ato sad silang panawgon, naa man ang atong GASA (Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa) [sa Gugma program of the city]. Atong tanawon kung unsay ilang mga baligya. But we will still cater them under our existing programs,” he said.

(These are livelihood for them. It’s just that they are victims of circumstance. We also have to call them, we have our GASA (Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa) [sa Gugma program of the city]. We will see what they are selling. But we will cater them under our existing programs)

READ: Breakthrough forum: Drug users share rehab journey through SuGod

Rosell also clarified that not a single centavo went to the current city government’s coffers from any collection from the V-hire terminal’s operations in Kamagayan.

Who is running terminal?

He said that the city government was still in the process of finding out and confirming who was currently managing and operating the v-hire terminal using the name of the city government.

“Ang punto lang nato kay dugay na na sila nga gipahimangnoan, kinsa diay ang nagoperate niana? Wala man g’yoy nitunga ngari so far…nagoperate sila, wala sila’y bayad ngari. Wala sad sila nagreport as terminal,” Rosell said.

(Our point in this because we already warned them a long time ago, who is the one operating this? There is no one who appeared to us here so far…they operated this, they did not pay us. They also did not report here as a terminal.)

“While naa na sila diha, kinsa man diay ang nagpadagan? Wala nay muangkon. Sa ato pa, hangtod nga naabot nga dugay na gani na nga di na manistil ipasira kundi papahawaon ug paundangon na lang gyod…lisod pagextend sa contract nga wala moexist,” Rosell added.

(While they are there, who is operating it? No one will own up to it. So, since it had been a long time since it had not closed so we will just force them to leave or let them stop…it is difficult to extend a contract that does not exist.)

Rosell also reminded the public that the city government cleared the area in Kamagayan for a supposed housing project for the city hall employees.

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