Rama wants carolers driven from streets

CEBU - Acting Cebu City mayor Michael Rama wanted all carolers, particularly children, be driven away from the streets to prevent any vehicular accidents.

Rama yesterday instructed Alvin Santillana of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council to coordinate with concerned offices to map out plans to effectively address the problem on street carolers.

“Dili g’yod mahimo nga anha sila manaygon sa karsada, ilabi na kadtong mga bata kay kuyaw nga madam-agan ra sila og sakyanan,” Rama said yesterday.

Santillana said he had already met with representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Social Welfare and Services, police, anti-mendicancy task force, traffic authorities and some barangays on the matter.

 During the meeting, it was agreed that barangays will assign at least two of their tanods to augment personnel of the City Traffic Operations Management and the police in places where there are illegal carolers.

Santillana said among the areas where beggars or carolers are rampant are corner of M.J. Cuenco and General Maxilom Avenue, P. del Rosario corner Osmeña Boulevard, and Juan Luna Avenue near SM City in barangay Mabolo.

“Nag-andam na ko sa akong report nga iduso ngadto ni acting mayor Rama kun unsay angay’ng buhaton. Basin karong semanaha makasugod na mi paghimo’g aktibong kampanya,” Santillana said.

Meanwhile, Rama ordered Vicente Dejoras Jr. of the mayor’s office to intensify the campaign against those persons who will sleep on sidewalks at night.

Rama also directed Dejoras to clear the sidewalks of any obstacles, particularly stalls and pushcarts, used by vendors.

“Kun dili motuman ang maong mga vendors sa among hangyo nga kuhaon nila ang ilang baligya gikan sa aseras, mapugos g’yod mi sa paghipos niini og mahasol hinuon sila’g samot,” Dejoras said.

The vendors would just cover their rolling stores or stalls along the sidewalk or would just put up temporary fence to secure their goods.

“Nahadlok pa gani ang mayor nga basin og posibleng himoon ra nga motel ang aseras kay dili na man makita kun butangan nila’g tabil-tabil panahon sa gabii,” Dejoras said. – Rene U. Borromeo/LPM   (THE FREEMAN)