The local government of Dagupan has renewed efforts to clear the city’s sidewalks to make it more pedestrian-friendly and attract more tourists and investors.

In a meeting at the city hall attended by representatives of the downtown store owners and sidewalk vendors’ groups last week, city officials asked sidewalk vendors to vacate their spots and businessmen to clear out areas where they have extended their shop perimeters.

At the same time, the city council has approved an ordinance, authored by Councilor Alex De Venecia, declaring it a policy of the city to ensure the free and convenient flow of passageways for pedestrians.

This ordinance strengthens an old one, which was promulgated in the 1980s during the   time of former Mayor Cipriano Manaois that sought to prohibit the use of sidewalks as parking area and any purpose other than as passageways for pedestrians.

De Venecia said the amendatory   ordinance was imperative to address the critical congestion of passageways brought about by the alarming increase in the use of sidewalks for business purposes.

“The congestion of passageways was primarily due to the proliferation of sidewalk vendors who have caused unfair competition against legitimate vendors who regularly pay taxes and fees,” said De Venecia.

The new ordinance now provides for a penalty fine of P1,000, from P200, for ambulant vending in order to discourage it. The increase in the fine was recommended by the anti-hawking task force after it complained that the P200 fine was not enough to deter arrested hawkers from returning to the streets.  

De Venecia also noted that most sidewalk vendors are engaged in the selling of adulterated and pirated wares.

City legal officer Geraldine Baniqued appealed to the sidewalk vendors, junk shop owners and businessmen to voluntarily clear out the sidewalks.

“Let’s not wait for the anti-hawking task force to demolish our structures, let’s voluntarily do it, and show our compliance with the law,” said Baniqued.

She added, “Let’s not wallow in the glory of the past, we don’t deserve that kind of glory anymore,” referring to the rather chaotic sights along Dagupan’s sidewalks. 

During the meeting, Public Order and Safety Office chief Robert Erfe Mejia presented video footages of illegal structures along sidewalks being used for vending, business signages and goods that extended outside stores and illegal parking of vehicles. — AQL

 MC Adore to become tiangge venue

 SINCE the Dagupan City government has abandoned its plan to convert the acquired MC Adore Hotel into the new city hall, the city council has decided it might as well be the city’s tiangge!

The Sanggunian Panlungsod took one look at the idle asset and authorized the use of MC Adore at the back of the city hall as a temporary commercial area to accommodate ambulant and sidewalk vendors who will be displaced following the local government’s drive to clear up the city’s sidewalks.

An ordinance containing regulations and the prescribed fees for the use of MC Adore was passed by the Sanggunian last Monday.

Temporary stalls, with an area of 1 + x 2 meters each, will be set up at a rental cost of P500 per week. Only dry goods and food products, excluding fresh meat and vegetables, will be allowed in the area.

Councilor Alex De Venecia, chair of the committee on market and author of the ordinance, said the filling of applications is now open and the awarding of contracts for space allocations will be done soon. He noted that preference will be given to bonafide Dagupan residents.

Based on the ordinance rules, payments for the weekly dues shall be made every Monday and failure to pay within the day will cause for the cancellation of the right to occupy. — AQL

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