City to provide carts for street vendors

THE City Government of Davao is studying the possibility of providing uniform carts to vendors and conducting food safety seminars to boost the food street vendors' image to tourists.

City tourism officer Bong Aportadera said last week that among the things he raised during the meeting on the Tourism Masterplan of Davao is for the City Government to offer vendors uniform food carts.

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"We did have a meeting Saturday with the city mayor and Davao City Investment and Promotions head Jason Magnaye on the city's tourism masterplan. I did suggest that we could perhaps have the vendors use jolly carts," Aportadera said in a phone interview on August 30.

"This is to improve the impression on street foods to tourists. We're also thinking of giving vendors seminars on food preparation, food safety para one is to regulate ang food safety and second is para kung sasabihin mong street food, it's not like 'eat at your own risk," Aportadera said.

He said nothing final has been discussed, but added it would be a welcome development for the tourism sector if this is approved.

Mayor Sara Duterte welcomed the idea but said this would need more discussion.

Duterte said the priorities for now would be to regulate street vendors along Davao's busy streets.

"Sa karon, let's first implement ang atong rules nga mutoo gyud sila that the one-third two-third rule is followed and the recent order that there is a limitation to the size of their display areas," Duterte said in an interview Monday.

Traffic Management Center head Retired Colonel Desiderio Cloribel and City Planning and Development acting head Roberto Alabado were ordered to implement the general rule that "the side walk is for pedestrian and streets for transportation."

Duterte said the verbal order would remain that 1/3 of the pedestrian lane can be occupied by sidewalk vendors, while 2/3 should be cleared for pedestrians.

The said verbal order was given under the leadership of former city mayor, now Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to give leeway for small trade earners.

"Giingnan nako ang traffic, our only exception is the sidewalk vendors. The sidewalk vendors are not supposed to be there pero mahulog na lang siya to the general rule. We allow that because informally they contribute to the economy. No matter how small kung i-add up nimo sila dako dako pud na ilang ginatabang," Duterte said. (JCZ)