Vendors seek area for All Souls’ Day

FLOWER and candle vendors requested city officials to allow them to sell along Harrison Road as they claim to have suffered losses from last year’s trade along Juan Luna Drive.

With this, the City Government is negotiating with the vendors for the best site to sell their goods for the coming All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said they are still finding solutions to the vendors’ request as night market vendors are currently occupying the portion of Harrison Road from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The city mayor said some 150 stall owners are expected to begin selling flowers and candles on October 26 to November 1.

He said they are studying relocating the vendors at the side of Melvin Jones so that flower and candle vendors do not obstruct the sidewalks and ensure the free flow of traffic in the area and also have a wider area to display their goods.

When the vendors are located along Melvin Jones, flower and candle customers will have parking spaces available for them at the side of the football field and beside Burnham Park, he added.

OIC-City Treasurer Alicia Onoza said the vendors have already started to pay P600: P165 as business tax, P200 for mayor’s permit, P50 for garbage fee, P55 for sewerage fees, P80 for electricity, and P50 for area use.

City Administrator lawyer Carlos Canilao, the action officer of this year’s Oplan Kaluluwa together with Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) director Senior Superintendent Jesus Cambay Jr., said they will present to the mayor the agreement of flower and candle vendors with city officials on where to sell their goods.

“We have to weigh on what will be the best for vendors either to recommend Harrison Road or look for other areas for them to sell near Harrison Road,” he said.

Canilao said traffic rerouting and peace and order plans are already in place to ensure a peaceful and meaningful observance of this year’s celebration of All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days.

Senior Superintendent Jesus Cambay Jr. said some 150 policemen from the Police Regional Office-Cordillera will augment the current manpower of the local police.

Traffic rerouting schemes, designated parking areas and volunteer groups were already designated to assist motorists and ensure the smooth flow of traffic especially near the city cemetery and other private memorial parks.

Canilao added that no selling of liquor, gambling, and other goods are allowed in the Baguio public cemetery. Carrying deadly weapons will also not be allowed by the police.

He called on the public to observe a more meaningful celebration of the holidays to remember their departed friends and relatives.

The city administrator added there will be a command post inside the cemetery to address the needs of the public.

Meanwhile, Assistant City Environment and parks management Officer (CEPMO) Ruben Cervantes said they have begun cleaning and clearing alleys and hauling of shrubs and grasses in the Baguio Public Cemetery.

Cervantes said a private contractor was hired by the city to haul out trash at the public cemetery.

He called on the public to observe segregation to not burden the contractor hired by the city to clean out trash in the cemetery.

CEPMO department head Cordelia Lacsamana said some 19,000 tombs and mausoleums based on their latest physical inventory are to be found in the public cemetery.