ILOILO City – Vendors wish the city government would allow them to return to the sidewalks this holiday season even for just a few days. To this Mayor Jerry Treñas said, “I don’t know how it can be done.”
According to the mayor, the director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in this city showed him a new memorandum stating that road and sidewalk clearing operations should extend to the barangays and not just in the downtown area.
The city government has been clearing roads and sidewalks of obstructions since July following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for local chief executives to reclaim public spaces being used for private ends.
This 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 Federation of Sidewalk Vendors Association in Iloilo City. 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 only 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.
The vendors hope the city government would make a favorable decision soon so they could set up their sidewalk kiosks on Dec. 14 or 15 ahead of the Dec. 16 start of the nine-day traditional misa de gallo or early morning mass leading to Christmas Day (Dec. 25).
Treñas said he would convey to the DILG the vendors’ wish but stressed, “I don’t know how it can be allowed under the circumstances,” referring to the new memo that in fact expanded the road-clearing drive.
“But I will confer with the DILG just the same,” said Treñas.
Dichupa said they would respect whatever decision the city government would come up.
“Anhon mo na kay nagasandig man lang si mayor sang order sa babaw,” he said.
But they remain hopeful and would seek an audience with Treñas before the week is over.
“Ginapangamuyo ko lang nga hatagan kami ni Mayor sang gamay nga Consuelo,” said Dichupa.
In an effort to ease the burden of the dislocated vendors, a member of the Cacho family, Marcelo Cacho who is the administrative manager of Panay Electric Co., announced in October that the vendors would be required to pay rent for a year.
Cacho also promised to further improve the area to ensure the comfort of the vendors and customers.
After one year, according to the city government’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) head Jeck Conlu, the Cachos and vendors would discuss the rental rate.
PSTMO led the road and sidewalk clearing operations that displaced the vendors.
Last month, 13 vendors were arrested for returning to sidewalks. PSTMO personnel also confiscated their tables and chairs. Their merchandize, however, were spared.
“We left them with a warning. If they return to the sidewalks again we will seize everything they have,” said PSTMO chief Jeck Conlu.
The vendors were spotted on the sidewalks of Ledesma, JM Basa, Rizal, and Jalandoni streets. They told the PSTMO business was sluggish at the Cacho property.
Conlu, however, rejected this explanation, pointing out that buyers already knew where to look for vendors.
“It would be unfair to those who moved to the Cacho property if other vendors are allowed to return to the sidewalks,” said Conlu. “Sa mga sidewalk vendors, sundon ta lang ang mga programa nga ginapa-implement sa aton.”
Treñas previously told the vendors to explore other livelihood sources and avail themselves of livelihood and skills training offered by the city government’s Public Employment Service Office in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The skills training is for food processing, dressmaking, massage therapy, welding, masonry, and carpentry, among others./PN
