ILOILO City – Will vendors be allowed to return to the sidewalks during the Dinagyang Festival next month? Mayor Jerry Treñas is unsure. “Those are difficult decisions we have to make,” he said. The city government has not acted on a similar request from the vendors for this holiday season.
According to Treñas, there is nothing he can do, pointing to an existing ordinance prohibiting sidewalk vending aside from an order from President Rodrigo Duterte for local governments to reclaim public roads being used for private ends.
The mayor said he forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) a letter-request from the Iloilo Sidewalk Vendors Association but the legislative body merely noted it down.
“Kon may authority ako from the Sanggunian, pwede ako kahatag pagligwa sa ordinance for this holiday season. But wala na sang city council session, so waay ako authority from them,” said Treñas. “I’m a lawyer. I cannot go beyond what is provided for in the law.”
Regarding sidewalk vending during the Dinagyang Festival, Treñas acknowledged that the festivities in previous years were lucrative for vendors but, “You know, waay gid ‘ta may maobra…those are difficult decisions we have to make as mayor.”
Last week, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 6 rejected the appeal of city vendors to allow their return to the sidewalks this holiday season.
“We only have one stand: public roads must be cleared of obstructions,” said Director Ariel Iglesia.
The vendors would have wanted to return to the sidewalks from Dec. 15 to 31. “This will help us in our expenses, most especially vendors who are financially unstable,” read part of their letter to the DILG.
“As far as the DILG is concerned, public road clearing operations are continuing,” said Iglesia.
The city government’s road-clearing operation since July has resulted to the relocation of 245 downtown sidewalk vendors to the vacant lot owned by the Cacho family along the downtown street of JM Basa, said Niel Dichupa, president of the city’s sidewalk vendor.
But there are an estimated 1,500 sidewalk vendors across the city.
According to Dichupa, their return to the sidewalks even for a limited number of days would be a big help already to boost their income this holiday season.
“Para at least may dal-on man ang amon mga miembro sa ila mga panimalay sa Christmas,” he said.
Business is sluggish at the 2,700-square meter wide Cacho property, he lamented.
“Kon diri lang asahan mo, ang sa front lang gid guro ang ayo-ayo benta. Pero sang sa likod pigado,” said Dichupa./PN
