Ambulant vendors to pay higher fines
The battle between the Dagupan City government and the ambulant vendors continues, and the momentum is on the side of the government.
A higher fine for arrested ambulant vendors in Dagupan City will soon be approved by the Sanggunian Panlungsod.
This is stipulated in a proposed ordinance seeking to hike the fine for erring ambulant vendors in a bid to instill discipline in the latter who don’t appear affected by the present ordinance.
Councilor Alex De Venecia, chair of the committee on market and slaughterhouse, said the proposed ordinance is yet to be deliberated upon by members of the council.
The proposed fine is P1, 000, from P200 in the existing anti-hawking ordinance. Butch Gutierrez, head of the anti hawking task force of the city government, said he expects the measure to finally discourage vendors who have settled for a daily cat-and-mouse chase in the face of the low fine.
He pointed out that the P200 fine was specified under the Anti-Hawking Ordinance O-999 adopted in 1980.
During a recent dialogue with the ambulant vendors presided by De Venecia, the latter said that while he understands the plight of the vendors, he urged them to rent stalls instead in the Malimgas Market.
He explained that tolerating ambulant vending would be unfair to stallholders at the new Malimgas market. The vendors complained that they were not allowed by operatives of the anti-hawking task force to sell their goods even at night.
The vendors asked de Venecia to allow them to sell at night starting from 6 pm to 6 am so that they too can earn a living for themselves and their families.
De Venecia countered with a proposal that the vendors form themselves into a cooperative so they can be in a better position to compete inside the Malimgas market.- AQL
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