‘SPARE OUR LIVELIHOOD’: Sidewalk vendors appeal for mercy in road clearing ops

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

SIXTY-three-year-old sidewalk vendor Jonie Rival from Molo district could not believe that they only have five days left to vacate the sidewalks of Iloilo City as ordered by Mayor Jerry Treñas on Tuesday.

In an interview on Wednesday, Rival, a gold scrapper, said he misheard the earlier pronouncement of the mayor and thought that they were given 27 days to leave the sidewalks.

Rival has been running his small stall in the downtown area of City Proper district for more than 20 years to support his five children.

“Dira lang gid kami gakuha sang amon pangabuhian kay may mga ginapaeskwela pa ako nga mga kabataan sa elementary,” he said.

Upon hearing that they have only a week left to vacate their spots, Rival could not help but express frustration.

“Galain gid akon nga buot kay papano na lang kami, wala na kami pangabuhian. Subong lang gid kami napahalin sa pwesto,” he lamented.

Rival had been depending on his small gold scrapping stall every day, earning about P200 to P300 a day. He is among the more or less 1,500 vendors that will be affected by the road and sidewalk clearing imposed by the city government.

Treñas gave the vendors a week’s ultimatum to vacate the sidewalks, admitting that he is reluctant to do so but is left with no choice since refusal to do so will lead to his suspension.

The mayor said the order is in relation to President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to all local government units to reclaim public spaces being used for private purposes and to clear all road obstructions in 60 days.

The order broke the hearts of many vendors like Rival who only depend on their income from selling dry goods and other small retails on the sidewalks.

Dennis Devata, 38, of La Paz district said he doesn’t know where to look for other source of income if his small stall of retail goods will be removed from the sidewalks.

“May tatlo ko ka bata kag dira lang gid kami gakuha sang pangadlaw-adlaw. Tani iregulate lang kami, ipagamayon lang ang stall kay mapati lang man kami. Subong, ano na ni amon ubrahon kay gapangabuhi lang man kami tani kami ti ensakto,” Devata lamented.

The same testimonies were also shared by a group of shoemakers in Ledesma Street, City Proper.

Joeven Herrera, 40, of La Paz spent almost his entire life repairing shoes. His father and his brother each own a small shoe repair stall on Ledesma Street.

Joeven said they are willing to give up their small stalls provided that they will not be displaced from the sidewalks.

“Maskin gamay na lang gid nga pulungkuan mabilin sa amon basta may pangabuhian lang gid kami, okay na kami indi lang kami pagpahalinon,” he stressed.

Joeven’s younger brother, Joebrown, also appealed to the mayor and Pres. Duterte to spare them from the clearing operations.

“Kay mayor and kay presidente tani tagaan kami pabor nga indi kami pagpahalinon. Willing man kami magpagamay sang pwesto, maluoy man sila, amo lang man na amon pangabuhian namon, tani ang mga dalagko nga dira sa kalsada sila na lang, kami nga ultimo gagmay nga pangabuhi, kuhaan pa nila,” he lamented.

Joeven also expressed frustration at politicians who lured them with promises during elections.

“May konsehal nagpangako sa amon bag-o eleksyon nga pakay-uhon amon mga shoe box, teh subong diin na? Puro lang sila pangako,” he said.

Another shoemaker like Kris believes that the displacement of the sidewalk vendors is like killing them and their children as well.

“Abi namon ang drug lords lang ang ginapatay, gali pati ang mga pigado and sidewalk vendors man patyon, pati bata dalasa,” he lamented.

According to Kris, the P5,000 assistance of the city government and Department of Social Welfare and Development to the affected vendors will not be enough to sustain their everyday needs.

“Isa lang na ka adlaw ang P5,000 indi na makabuhi sa amon. Subong nga gapangubuhi, gaagwanta kami para wala kami salabton kay mayor kag sa awtoridad, wala kulba, karon kay wala kami pangabuhian, maskin prisuhon nila kami tanan teh anhun namon kesa magutuman amon kabataan,” he lamented.

The city government will relocate the affected vendors to the old International Hotel on Aldeguer-JM Basa Streets in City Proper district and in a property of Panay Electric Company (PECO) in JM Basa as well.

However, this might not be free as the vendors will have to pay P100 per square meter in the Cacho property.