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CEBU CITY, Philippines ? Sidewalk vendors who used to peddle their wares along M.C. Briones Street in Cebu City are determined to return to their old location near the Carbon Market despite opposition by officials of Barangay (village) Sto. Nino, who stopped the vendors from setting up their stalls last Saturday.
Erwin Guk-ong, chairman of the Cebu Market Vendors Cooperative, said the 42 vendors voluntarily cleared M.C. Briones some months back when the city government asked them to temporarily leave the area so work on a drainage project could be completed.
The drainage project has been completed for over a month, but the vendors were not allowed to return because Acting Mayor Michael Rama wanted to meet with the vendors first to set conditions for their return, Guk-ong said.
These conditions included the maximum size of the stalls so it would not encroach the sidewalk. Vendors were also told to keep the area clean.
But even after the meeting with Rama, Sto. Niño barangay officials, led by barangay Captain Pancho Ramirez, called the police to stop the vendors from setting up their stalls, said Guk-ong.
Ramirez explained that he prevented the vendors from returning because there are city laws against sidewalk vending.
He said that as far as he knew, City Hall had approved a request from the barangay to prevent the vendors from returning due to a joint letter-complaint submitted by 14 nearby establishments.
But as long as the vendors could show proof that City Hall would allow them to return to M.C. Briones, Ramirez said he would not stop them.
