• THERESA MAE DULMAN
At least 44 ambulant vendors operating along North Capitol Road have been consolidated and oriented as the Bacolod City Government begins the enforcement of City Ordinance 1009 to regulate street vending and clear major thoroughfares.
City Administrator Atty. Mark Steven Mayo announced that the vendors that have undergone orientation have commenced the processing of special permits, which dictate their approved products, prescribed operating hours, and specific slot allocations at the designated vending zones.
Vending will be strictly prohibited on Aguinaldo Street, along the road leading to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office.
Vendors currently operating in those prohibited zones will be relocated and absorbed into slots allocated along the stretch of the North Capitol Road.
“We are strictly regulating this to be fair to the riding public and our motorists, ensuring vendors do not become obstructions, especially during rush hours,” Mayo said, adding that the affected vendors have been amenable to the layout adjustments.
The city administrator emphasized that the regulation serves a dual purpose of establishing public discipline and boosting local revenue.
He said restrictions include a ‘grab-and-go’ system to prevent customers from crowding the thoroughfares and vendors are restricted to using mobile carts only, and setting up tables and chairs is strictly prohibited.
While the standard regulated vending hours are set from 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m., the city is reviewing extensions on a case-by-case basis, particularly for vendors catering to nearby Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) night-shift workers.
“Before we clear them, we make it a point—as instructed by Mayor Greg Gasataya—to have a dialogue first so we can come up with solutions. However, for those who will not cooperate, there will be consequences and we will have to implement the law,” Mayo warned, noting that the ordinance limits legal vending to only eight designated areas across the city.*
