Rama: Sidewalk vendors banned

CEBU, Philippines -  Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will ban ambulant and sidewalk vendors at the Plaza Independencia as soon as the restoration project of the century old public plaza is completed.

Rama said he does not want vendors to operate in Plaza Independencia, even ambulant vendors who just carry their products from one place to another, because they might make the newly restored park dirty.

Some people immediately aired their sentiments over the airlanes against the plan of the mayor. “Maayo man gud kon may mapalitan nato og makaon kon mosuroy ta diha kay sa mag-antos ta sa kagutom,” a concerned citizen said over the radio.

Plaza Independencia will be opened for the public next month.

The mayor has already ordered the contractor to finish the restoration project before May 8 in time for the founding anniversary of the nearby Fort San Pedro that used to be a military defense structure built by Spanish and indigenous Cebuano laborers under the command of Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.

Fort San Pedro, the smallest and oldest triangular bastion fort in the country, was first built in 1565. Its management has been turned over to the city government.

The plaza was closed for rehabilitation after it was affected by the construction of the tunnel that links McArthur Boulevard to the South Coastal Road.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Market Administrator Raquel Arce has called for a meeting with the sidewalk and night vendors of Carbon Public Market, particularly those who operate during weekends, to warn them that they should clean up their areas before leaving the place otherwise they will not be allowed to occupy the place.

Arce explained that it is unfair if the City Hall’s Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Team (Ceset) will issue citation tickets to the owners of the establishments because of the garbage left by the sidewalk vendors in front of their premises.

City Ordinance 1361 provides that the owners of any residential houses and establishments are mandated to clean their respective surroundings within five meters from their premises.

“Unfair kaayo nga ang mga tag-iya sa establishment maoy atong pamultahon nga ang mga basura dili man ila, sa mga vendors man nga mobiya ra sa ilang mga hugaw,” Arce told The FREEMAN. (FREEMAN)