Palugit na anim na buwan sa sidewalk vendor, napagkasunduan

Lungsod ng Baguio  –  Win-win solution ang naging resulta sa pagitan ng City Planning at ng 128 sidewalk vendors kasama ang media organization at newspaper publishers matapos mag-usap at nagbigay ng mga rekomendasyon at proposal ang magkabilang panig sa ginanap na kapulungan noong Disyembre 15, 2020 sa Multi-Purpose Hall.

.

Pinangunahan ni Licensing Officer Allan Abayao na ipaliwanag ang proposed stall/shop designs para sa pagpapatupad sa taong 2021 na mula sa City Planning and Development Office. Ayon kay Abayao ang  “collective decision among department heads and implementing offices on business permits and road clearing operations, have this collective agreement first but those special permits shall become now regular permit, those special permits they are being renewed quarterly this should become now a regular permit and for them to become a regular permit they should can clearances from other offices but importantly zoning clearance among others, para maitugma ang mga businesses na ito sa plano ng siyudad so, we are doing it from a bigger picture,  from that agreement no more vending on sidewalks as to newsstands repair shops they are affected thus the crew decided to advise them to go inside the building, maraming benefits ito pag umulan di sila mababasa,  meron ibang newspapers vendors nag submit ng undertaking na willing sila sumunod by January 2021 ipasok nila ang businessess nila sa establishment,”  

Rationale

Under the rationale of the city planning This are the opposition on the move to regulate side vending on sidewalks especially from the newspaper vendors and media, To clear out that the decision for such move is not a direct order from the city mayor but a collective agreement among the implementing offices and to come-up with a positive result / win-win solution on how we will level-up doing business in the City.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued the directive of clearing the road from any obstruction, the implementing agency from the City Engineering Office, according to them the road and sidewalks with all this obstruction should be remove to clear the roads and sidewalks, last year has been implementing the clearing to the sidewalks, there are some businesses and business of activities along sidewalks, they obeyed and transfer to the business establishment building were they are located. Ipinakita ang mga larawan ng ilang mga newsstand at watch repair shops na kung saan ay may mga lugar na masikip at nasilip rin dito na may mga additional na paninda na wala sa kanilang business permit.

Legal Basis Policy  

Inisa-isa ni Atty Jordan ng City Legal Office ang mga  legal basis policy na mula sa DILG Memorandum Circular no. 2019-121 “direct to all local government, chief executives among others na linisin ang public roads, alleys and other thoroughfares kasama na rito ang sidewalks , maging ang  legal basis ng policy as early as 1984 Ordinance No. 7-84 Section 5 Article 8 na ordinansa sinasaad dito “the sidewalks shall be exclusively for pedestrians and no person or business enterprise shall use for other purposes and intense like selling and display spaces for vendors. Meron din Resolution No. 23 Series of 1990 regarding the implementation on the policy of sidewalks from the committee on Public Protection and Safety ng City council na hanggang ngayon ay dapat I implement ito under existing policy road right of way is a reserve for public used and purpose and beyond the powers of man hence, it is prohibited for any person establishment for entity to use serve and portion of the road right-of-way,”

No more sidewalk vendors in 2021   

Sinabi ni City Planning Officer Arch. Donna Tabangin “may changes talagang mangyayari by 2021 na ang intensiyon ay ayusin ang city at dahilan rin ito na nasa pandemiya tayo kailangan ma observed ang health and safety protocols at alisunod kay presidente ang anti-road obstruction, lahat tayo ay importante, hindi namin kayo pinapaalis, mahalaga kayo dahil nakakatulong kayo sa ekonomiya sa city dahil nagbabayad kayo ng business permit niyo, nais namin kayo matulungan na maisaayos ang inyong mga puwesto basta sumunod lamang po tayo sa mga rules and regulation na dapat din natin ma-implement, maging open minded lang tayo kung ano ang inyong proposal, pag usapan natin kung ano ang makakabuti sa atin. Ang sidewalk ay para sa atin lahat yan pero hindi intended na maging business area, public space ito, it’s a common ownership of everyone at hindi rin ito business address,  by 2021 may ma implement na 0.6meter na setback from the sidewalk, hindi na pwede bumili na nasa sidewalk kapag may bibili na kostumer ay papasok sila sa business establishment at sasampa sa shop, ito ay hindi naman kaagad agad na mangyayari, naintindihan namin na mahirap ang buhay ngayon, it takes time to do this changes pero kailangan may maumpisahan tayo, sabay-sabay aayusin ng city engineer ang sidewalks sa central business district,”  

Six months extension and renewal of permits

Suportado naman si Baguio Midland Courier Publisher/Chief Operations Officer Gloria Antoinette Hamada sa mga newsstand vendors kaugnay sa sitwasyon na agarang pag relocate sa kanilang newsstand na sa plano ng city ay hindi ganoong kadali na makahanap sila ng malilipatan o makapasok sa mga establishment na walang katiyakan pa sa ngayon panahon ng pandemiya at paano na lang ang kanilang kabuhayan kung huli na (kulang na sa oras) ang kanilang panawagan para mag relocate? Sang-ayon naman si Hamada sa mga proposal  ng city planning na maayos ang kalalagyan ng mga newsstand vendor ngunit nakiusap na kung maaari na bigyan sila ng time frame o extension para magawa nila ang pag relocate at makagawa ng paraan para sa kanilang stalls. Sa huling pag-uusap ay na aprobahan ang six months extension from January to June 20, 2021 para ayusin ng mga sidewalk vendors ang kanilang stalls na tutulong rin ang city planning ngunit ire-relocate pa rin ang mga may masisikip na sidewalk na ino occupy ng mga newsstand at pinayagan na rin na makapag renew ng kanilang permits para sa taong ito.  

Kasama sa pagpupulong sila councilor Maria Mylen Victoria Guirnalda Yaranon Committee Chairmanship Committee on Public Works,

Philian Louise Weygan-Allan Committee on Market, Trade and Commerce, and Agriculture at Chief of Staff City Mayor’s Office Philip Puzon