CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Vendors outside the Carmen Public Market in Barangay Carmen here thanked Mayor Rolando Uy for planning to organize them but asked him to provide them a location that "won’t affect their income."
PERSONNEL from the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) carry confiscated products from sidewalk vendors in Cogon, Cagayan de Oro City after they continued selling their goods outside the implemented schedule. (File photo courtesy of the Cagayan de Oro City Information Office)
Jaypee Abelano, a sidewalk vendor on V. Castro St. who sells fried goods, said he received unverified information from his co-vendors that they would be transferred to a less-populated area.
"Kung ugaling ibalhin man lang mi, mas maayo nga unta dili sad maapektohan amo kita (If we were being transferred, it would be better that it shouldn’t also affect our income)," Abelano, a resident of Barangay Carmen, said.
Abelano sells chicken proben – the proventriculus of a chicken dipped in cornstarch or flour and deep-fried – for over five months now, and a location that will be organized by the local government, he said, will actually help them sell their goods in peace without fearing surprise raids by authorities here.
Apart from asking for a better location for business, another sidewalk vendor, “Marisol,” also asked the local chief executive to allow them to sell their goods earlier just like those outside the Cogon public market who had been organized and allowed to operate from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m.
"Basin parehason sa Cogon nga alas 6 na magbaligya. Wala naman tao ana (Maybe it’s the same as Cogon that sells at 6 p.m. There was no one at that time)," the vendor who also sells chicken proben said, stressing that the Carmen area is different compared to the Cogon area which is busier.
Marisol normally starts selling around 10 a.m. in time for lunch until 7 p.m. when the number of people outside Carmen public market starts to dwindle.
Abelano patiently sells his fried goods until 10 p.m. to have a better daily income.
Uy said there is still no proposed area for sidewalk vendors in Carmen but he wanted to place them in one area.
"Kanang mga sidewalk vendors, sama sa Cogon nga ma-usa ra sila. So, ang mga suki nila o mamalitay mutultol nalang gyud mismo sa usa ka lugar asa dapit mahimutang ang atong mga sidewalk vendors (Like Cogon, those sidewalk vendors (in Carmen) can sell in one place. So, their customers will only lead to a place where our sidewalk vendors are located)," Uy said.
As for the selling time request, Uy said that implementing the 6 p.m.-5 a.m. schedule would give fair opportunities to others, saying that areas that have been occupied by sidewalk vendors should also be used, especially by commuters and vehicles during rush hours.
Uy is still waiting for the final number of sidewalk vendors in Carmen.
On April 11, the City Economic Enterprises and Business Development Administration (CEEBDA) counted over 160 sidewalk vendors outside the Carmen public market, specifically on V. Castro and Ipil Sts. The office is still continuing with the profiling process.
Abelano asked the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) to be humane in raiding sidewalk vendors as they only want to make a living. He asked RTA to provide a simple warning prior to the actual raid while there is still no intended area for sidewalk vendors.
Marisol echoed Abelano’s comment but she said that the raid by authorities under the leadership of Uy was not that brutal compared to the previous administration.