Baguio newsstands given 6 months to relocate

BAGUIO CITY — The coronavirus pandemic has forced this city to free up more space to ensure physical distancing along sidewalks, a key justification made by officials for their plan to relocate obstructions, including newsstands.

Newspaper and magazine vendors could either partner with cooperatives formed by newspaper publishers or put up common newsstands by next year, said Allan Abayao, head of the city’s business licensing office.

Baguio ordinances dating back to 1984 prohibit vending along sidewalks, but these laws are now being strictly enforced during the pandemic, Abayao said during a meeting with newsstand vendors and repairmen.

Getting more space for social distancing will benefit residents who go out each day to work, said city planning officer, Donna Tabangin.

But heeding appeals by the local media, city officials agreed to a six-month transition period, starting January, to relocate vending sites in the central business district for appropriation.

While saying that the city government’s reasons were sound, Gloria Antoinette Hamada, general manager of Baguio Midland Courier, criticized the officials for failing to discuss the plan with local publishers.

Space rental proposed

Hamada said shutting down the newsstands would be tantamount to closing newspapers. Close to 80 newsstands and repair shops would be displaced by the city’s drive to remove obstructions along sidewalks and roads.

Instead of removing newsstands altogether, officials proposed that dealers rent space from shops in the business district. In areas that could be suited for newsstands, the vending structure must be set back 0.6 meter from the sidewalk to allow smooth flow of pedestrians. —VINCENT CABREZA