Letter to the Editor — Citom is misguided in recommending demolition of sidewalk vendors

The Citom may have been misguided or misinformed in its observation and study thus, recommending to the mayor massive demolition of the vendors at the sidewalks. Since 1988 in assuming into office Mayor Tommy Osmeña within his administration powers maintain a policy of "maximum tolerance". His policy contradicts OIC mayor Cuenco and Duterte. That is how the mayor weld (sic) his power even today.

The Cebu United Vendors Association (CCUVA) strongly condemned the planned massive demolition proposal of the sidewalks in Cebu City streets. Said phase out plan is a strategic and tactical operation effort that is not enhancing the City of Cebu now that the ASEAN summit is coming. The mayor has already stated that he want the vendors part of the summit to wear Filipiniana attire (sic) . The reason for these, the Kuala Lumpur documents, "aims to poverty reduction programs for the ASEAN members" of which demolition swell poverty conditions that breeds social problems like crime, insurgency, prostitution, etc.

The Citom must not pretend to outwit the wisdom of the Honorable Mayor. He knows that the 13,000 vendors of which 10,000 are CCUVA members need regular meals, medicine, vitamins, education for their families which may range from 30,000 to 50,000 persons. That is too large a burden if they lost their way of living.

How Cebu City can employ the number much more that SRP is yet to yield its results for the next five years. Since CCUVA Cebu United Vendors Association is a pro-active group we send our children to schools for them to work and make the economy of Cebu strong and vibrant.

However, both the government and the private sectors created us to become vendors of the sidewalks! How did the government create us? It did not secure the employment of the workers; instead it created program of layoffs, casualization, contractualization, underemployment and unemployment in the urban centers. Losing the work, we become vendors. It did not create economy at the countryside; instead it organized an all-out destruction of the environment by promoting destructive chemicals in farming in order to produce more yield. So, the farmers and fishermen become construction workers. Losing the farms and boats, we become vendors.

Vending in the sidewalks is the last recourse and frontiers of those people seeking to survive in a dignified means of making a living. We become vendors in the sidewalks because we refuse to create money in criminal manners. Thus, in our humble livelihood, we help the Cebu economy move on.

An honest investigation results contrary to the assertions that the pedestrians walk along the streets due to our presence. A number of streets have no vendors and yet people walks in the streets like Juana Osmeña, V. Rama, Katipunan, Echavez, Gorordo Streets, to name a few.

Citom must make a good research and the conclusion would be the following:

1. The number of motor vehicles exceeds the allowable volume flow on the road. So, the rich must diminish enjoying luxuries to save energy and economy. Do not punish the poor. In short, it's the manners and culture that people are used to in doing their lives, not the vendors.

2. Some narrow streets are designated parking space due to the fact that (some) buildings do not conform to the building code. Thus, horizontal and vertical development must be upgraded that includes study of buildings, its parking space and the allowable number of vehicle on the road.

3. Change the economy; that is design the number of the middle class and to not increase the number of the poor.

The issue is not only the vendors but the entire system, the root that produce the problems.

It is honorable on the part of the mayor to recognize the vendors in his latest comment in relation of the ASEAN summit, not demolition.

Should the mayor carry the ill advise of Citom, like his comment on the US or American presence? It's creating a magnet of problems that may go beyond control.

We want our members to help Cebu City and that is making us part of it. Can Citom guarantee that number during rallies? Can they provide us food? Can Citom make our head peaceful when we cannot feed our children? We are friends of Mayor Osmeña ever since he became mayor of Cebu City.

(Sgd.) Maria-Pino R. Buanghug
CCUVA chairperson