Colon street vendors nabbed; goods seized

Several vendors were apprehended and goods owned by at least 30 of them were seized in a clearing operation in downtown Cebu City yesterday.

The vendors were displaying their wares beside establishments and crowding out pedestrians with their tables.

Raquel Bohol-Arce, head of the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification Enhancement (Probe) team of the Cebu city government, said the confiscation was made after the vendors violated rules set by the organization Garbo Asenso Sumbanan Alyansa (Gasa).

Diane Samson, Gasa board secretary, said there are 342 registered vendors in Colon.

Probe personnel also seized several vending tables, including those belonging to some registered vendors in Colon.

Under Gasa’s rules, the size of vending tables are regulated: two feet by two feet for fruit and food vending, 2×3 for personal accessories and 2×2 for watches and other jewelry.

“Registered vendors should serve as models,” Samson said.

Only one side of the lane can be used for vending and tables should only be placed across a business establishment.

At night, vendors are supposed to remove their tables instead of leaving them on the sidewalk.

Some fruit vendors also use coolers to preserve their merchandise which contributes to the narrowing of the sidewalk.

Apprehended vendors will have to undergo a two-day seminar and pay a fine of P500.

Registered vendors are issued identification cards which should be displayed on the vending tables. The IDs are renewable each year.

Registered vendors also pay P5 daily as “arkabala”, a form of tax. Suzette Verdida, a registered vendor, said they were warned beforehand by Gasa that a clearing operation would be conducted.

Carmelita Degamo, a registered vendor, threatened to file charges if her goods seized by the Probe team are not returned to her./CORRESPONDENT CHRISTINE EMILY L. PANTALEON