Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Politicians dared to act v. illegal vendors By Rimaliza Opiña
"DO NOT be afraid to lose votes," was the advice of Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) head Emmanuel Reyes to politicians, when pressed for comment on how the City Government would sustain its drive on keeping illegal vendors out of public streets.
Reyes said only the will of politicians could put a permanent stop to illegal vending, stressing that they merely implement what they are ordered to do.
Two weeks earlier, the Palengke Task Force (PTF) held a massive cleanup along Kayang, Zandueta and Hilltop roads following a complaint of legitimate vendors that because there are too many hawkers at the market, their businesses are affected by the inaction of concerned officials.
The recent census at the market showed that there are about 5,500 vendors but only one third of them are legitimate.
The task force, meantime, is scheduled to clear Lakandula Road, where some vendors selling pirated compact discs (CDs) and digital video discs (DVDs), ready-to-wear clothes, toys, and cell phone accessories are located. Vendors in the area were also given time to voluntarily pack up.
Displaced vendors, meanwhile, continue to sell at the market but usually at night when Office of the Market Superintendent (OMS) personnel are no longer around to monitor the presence of illegal vendors.
The PTF suggested solutions to ease congestion at the market like the refurbishment of the Hilltop area, relocation of Baguio-based vendors in limited spaces in the same area, refurbishment and conversion of the Rillera Building into an alternative fish and market section, regular flushing of Blocks II and IV, as well as the strict implementation of the market zoning for easier identification of illegal vendors.
