Mayor says it’s up to DILG to decide on vendors’ plea

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he will leave it to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to decide if it will allow street vendors to sell in the downtown area during the holidays.

Leonardia said if the DILG will give the go signal, the vendors will be allowed to sell at the Bacolod Public Plaza and along the Old Bacolod City Hall.

Three vendors associations in Bacolod have earlier appealed to the mayor to allow them to sell in the downtown area throughout December.

They said it is their only chance to earn enough for the holiday season.

They claimed their sales and income were adversely affected after they were relocated to the Vendors’ Plaza at the reclamation area.

Leonardia said that he will follow-up DILG’s opinion on the matter.

Market Coordinating and Monitoring Task Force head Ernesto Pineda earlier said the vendors will only be allowed to sell in the downtown area if the City Council agrees.

However, it was learned that the SP denied the request of the vendors as it will violate the DILG directive on road clearing as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.