BAGUIO CITY – The city government and the labor department will spearhead the organization of a cooperative for ambulant vendors from the different parts of the city to improve their livelihoods.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said both bodies will be providing the technical and financial support for the organization of the proposed ambulant vendors’ cooperative to help them do their livelihood through a more organized way of doing business.
He disclosed the city government is doing the appropriate coordination with the labor department on how to jumpstart the organization of the cooperative and the provision of the required kiosks in strategic places around the city for the conduct of their business activities.
Aside from the provision of the starting capital for the cooperative, the city government and the labor department will also train the members with the appropriate training and the equipment required for the establishment of the kiosks.
He pointed out that the organization of a cooperative for ambulant vendors will help in permanently addressing the proliferation of street vendors in public places in the different parts of the city by providing them with designated kiosks in public places where they will be allowed to conduct their business activities to prevent them from roving around the city selling their different products.
According to him, membership to the cooperative is free and will be open to all ambulant vendors interested to be part of the organization to ensure they will benefit from the operation of their cooperative without creating inconveniences to the public when doing their business.
He stipulated the labor department will provide the needed assistance to the proposed organization of the cooperative with the same hopefully to be done by next year to help the city government address the presence of street vendors in public places and even in parks that create problems on illegal peddling of goods around the city.
The city mayor urged existing ambulant vendors to patronize the proposed cooperative for them so that the city government can regulate the presence of sidewalk vendors, especially that the city government continues to aggressively take measure to stop ambulant vending in public places and parks.
He assured the affected ambulant vendors that expenses required in the organization of the cooperative will be shouldered by the city government and the labor department so they can be convinced to embrace the new concept for them to sustain their desired economic activities in the city.
By Dexter A. See
