EVEN after the city government has opened the area in front of the former MC Adore Hotel to ambulant vendors displaced by the ongoing anti-hawking operations, the place is not sufficient to accommodate them all for their sheer number.

Councilor Alex de Venecia, chairman of the city council’s committee on market, noted that numerous ambulant vendors have aired their complaints after all the 235 spaces in front of the former MC Adore hotel were awarded.

De Venecia was the author of a city council ordinance that allocated spaces in front of the idle hotel in order to accommodate ambulant vendors plying their trade in the city’s side streets and sidewalks.

The ordinance also has a provision that gives bonafide residents of Dagupan the first priority to occupy stall spaces thereat.

De Venecia noted, however, that even non-residents of Dagupan were awarded their respective spaces which is a violation of the ordinance.

Meanwhile, Lito Vallo, market division head, said indeed Dagupan ambulant vendors were the first priority but some of them did not apply so their slots were given to outsiders who filed applications.

Vallo said he informed the vendors about this provision in the ordinance but some of them did not return to submit the completed forms.

Ambulant vendors from outside Dagupan filed theirs and so they were accommodated, he said.

Those who did not apply returned to the city council to say that the main reason why they were reluctant to apply was because they found the rental fee of P500 per week too high for them to afford.

We appeal that the rental fee be lowered so that it won’t be too steep for us,” the vendors said as they intimated that they can not afford the set amount as they are still paying the little capital borrowed from usurers. – AQL

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments