Manila to host vendors’ summit

A special summit will be held in Manila next week as the city attempts to find all possible means to solve the nagging problem of street vending.

Invited to attend the one-day summit, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said, are the city’s various sidewalk vendors associations, urban poor groups and other non-government organizations, as well as local and national government agencies.

"The issue of sidewalk vending is a complex one, and it cannot be resolved overnight. We have to gather together all the concerned sectors in order to arrive at an arrangement solution that would be beneficial to everyone, especially the sidewalk vendors," Atienza said.

The mayor again reiterated his position that sidewalk vending is a positive economic endeavor that could help bring genuine progress to the country if managed properly.

"We have to look at sidewalk vending as a beneficial activity, one that could spur genuine economic growth," he said.

Atienza said he has already formed a committee that would organize the summit to be held at the auditorium of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. – Mike Frialde