Ambulant vendors to get own stalls in 'pocket tiangge'

MANILA, Philippines - Ambulant vendors in Metro Manila can soon sell their wares without fear of getting arrested or their stalls being demolished.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday the government will soon implementing the “pocket tiangge” project that would provide free spaces for ambulant vendors.

“The project aims not only to remove human and structural obstructions along sidewalks and streets for improved traffic flow, but also to promote the general welfare, dignity, and safety of ambulant vendors, and hopefully, improve the physical aesthetics of the metropolis,” DOLE-National Capital Region (NCR) director Alan Macaraya said.

Macaraya said the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will working with market administrators in Metro Manila in identifying vendor beneficiaries, who will be provided with standard-size vending areas.

He said 15 ambulant vendors in Taguig City, the pilot site for the pocket tiangge project, have been selected. Each of the 15 vendors was provided with a free stall, start-up capital, and free site development service to ensure a more humane vending location.

The Taguig Market Management Office had re-located the 15 vendors to an area along C-6 Road in Barangay Napindan, which is located along the city’s coastal area of Laguna Bay. The city plans to develop the area as an eco-tourism destination, thus the design of the stalls were custom-made based on the over-all development plan of the area.

The DOLE-NCR allocated P117,500 under its Unlad Kabuhayan Program to provide start-up capital for the 15 vendors.

“We plan to synchronize the DOLE’s Nego Kart project for ambulant vendors with the MMDA’s pocket tiangge to prioritize and maximize funds so the project can be replicated in the rest of Metro Manila’s 17 local government units,” Macaraya said.

With P200,000 support from Smart Communications Inc., Macaraya said the government would be constructing new stalls.