VENDORS assigned near Gaston Park were told to cooperate with City Hall in keeping their areas clean even as Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said it’s high time for more vendors in Cogon to be issued uniforms for easy identification by the public.
“I asked the Night Market Management Committee for understanding on the plight of the vendors (that were allowed to sell near the Gaston Park area). Even if the park area itself is off-limits, I told them that these vendors who sell mostly food need to earn a livelihood to survive,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan during his radio program today.
Mayor Uy said this, days after the Night Market Committee met with the 90-member Gaston Park Vendors Association Inc. to remind them to cooperate with City Hall.
“We need your full support (in ensuring the sanitation of your areas)….once we do our part, our next move will be to improve your presentation in order to attract (more buyers to you),” said Barangay 1 chairman Anthony Abejuela, who attended the meeting.
Committee chairman Eric Salcedo also echoed Mayor Uy’s appeal, saying the city government is doing what it can to ensure their livelihood.
The committee will hold a raffle next Thursday to assign regular spaces to the food vendors that are adjacent to Gaston Park. At the Cogon market area, more uniforms will be issued to vendors for easier identification and to help attract more visitors Mayor Uy said.
“Customers won’t be able to identify whom to order from when the vendors don’t wear uniforms. It’s also part of our efforts to make the vendors and the spaces they sell in more accessible and attractive to the public,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
The areas in Guillermo, Osmeña, Daumar and Ramon-Chavez Streets have been assigned for vendors covered under City Hall’s Night Market program.
So far only food cart vendors in Guillermo Streets and Ramon-Chavez Streets managed to secure their uniforms, with Guillermo Street vendors wearing red polo shirts and Ramon-Chaves Street vendors wearing blue and black polo shirts.
Since last month, City Hall’s Band and Chorale have been detailed in the Night Market areas during Saturday evenings to provide live entertainment to the public.
But Mayor Uy was adamant about enforcing a liquor ban during these live shows, saying that allowing the sale of liquor will pose more problems to the market and police personnel.
“The minute we allow the sale of liquor, there will be a problem with the sanitation (and unruly behavior that may occur from drunken visitors),” Mayor Uy said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas with a report from Annabelle Ricalde of the City Information Office)
