Osmeña turns down vendors’ request

Some of the Santo Niño vendors occupying the concrete stalls at the back of the Basilica del Santo Niño along D. Jakosalem Street are asking Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to evict those vendors who are not residents of the city.

One of the Santo Niño vendors said: “Daghan diha nga dili taga Cebu City. Kun papahawaon na sila, kahatagan og higayon kadtong mga naninda nga walay tindahan nga mahunong na ang ilang pagdagan-dagan pagpamaligya.”

But Osmeña rejected the suggestion, saying he would only evict those vendors from outside the city once they contribute to traffic problems in the city.

“Ato lang usa na silang pabaligyaon diha, unsaon nga wala man sila’y trabaho didto sa probinsya mao nga napugos sila pag-anhi sa Cebu City,” the mayor said.

There were accusations that vendors who are not city residents are not complying with the policy that prohibits the display of their products outside the metal railings.

To show to the mayor that they are already complying with the regulations, most of the Santo Niño vendors yesterday pulled out their products that were displayed outside the metal railings.

Osmeña had already ordered the demolition of shanties of Santo Niño vendors constructed along the sidewalk of Osmeña Boulevard in 2002 and at the corner of Osmeña Boulevard and D. Jakosalem Street last January 16 for obstructing the streets.

For the past few years, the mayor had just tolerated the Santo Niño vendors to sell their products in the area on condition that they will not obstruct the flow of traffic.

But Osmeña observed that these vendors have not followed his advice, prompting him to order the demolition of their makeshift stalls. —  Rene U. Borromeo/LPM