• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City Government has presented a livelihood transition option to more than 100 passenger transport barkers operating around the Bacolod City Public Plaza, requiring them to vacate the area in exchange for alternative livelihood assistance.
The city government and Police Station 1 recently profiled over 100 barkers, ahead of a planned regulatory crackdown.
City Administrator Atty. Mark Steven Mayo announced that the barkers will be gathered today, along with police personnel, to discuss the city’s new regulatory framework and the proposed assistance package.
According to Mayo, the implementation of the program will depend on the barkers’ willingness to cooperate.
Under the city’s proposal, a key condition for receiving the seed capital is that beneficiaries must permanently leave the plaza area and establish their new livelihoods elsewhere.
He said the city government is adopting this approach to address long-standing concerns regarding the high concentration of barkers and the increasing presence of mendicants around the public plaza, noting that previous regulatory methods have not yielded long-term effectiveness.
“We’re trying to be innovative, and at the same time trying to be authoritative also,” he said.
While local authorities have already initiated arrests and warnings, many barkers continue to operate in the vicinity.
Mayo noted that the barkers’ acceptance of the invitation to the dialogue is a positive initial step. To maintain accountability, city livelihood officers will monitor the beneficiaries to ensure the provided funds are properly utilized as business capital.*
