Divisoria vendors hold protest at Manila City Hall amid ban on sidewalks

Divisoria vendors on Monday marched to the Manila City Hall in protest of Mayor Isko Moreno move banning them from setting up their stalls and doing business along certain sidewalks in the city.

WATCH: Ayon sa mga vendor, lehitimo silang taga-Maynila at hindi rin daw nila kailangan na magpabayad. | via @Isa_Umali pic.twitter.com/786OeWLE6t

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) November 18, 2019

“Pinagkalooban ko sila ng pagkakataon. Ang ibinalik nila sa taga-Maynila, babuyan. Hindi naman pwede yun,” Moreno said.

According to a separate report by Cecille Villarosa on GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali,” the protesters are making an appeal to allow them to sell along Recto Avenue, Soler Street, Juan Luna Street, and Ylaya Street.

The Divisoria Vendors Association said their affected members were deprived of livelihood due to the local government’s strict policy.

Some of them have started experiencing hunger and difficulty in providing for the education of their children, the association noted.

The mayor noted that the vendors are entitled to express their grievances, but warned them not to destroy public facilities.

Some parts of the shopping district Divisoria should be cleared of vendors, according to the mayor, citing the disruption of vehicle traffic—particularly public utility vehicles.

Moreno emphasized that these areas are non-negotiable.

Other streets like Ylaya, Tabora, Carmen Planas, Elcano, and Sto. Cristo open to vendors with conditions.

Moreno asked the vendors to keep their areas clean, ensure that the streets are free from obstruction, and not to bribe authorities to secure a spot in Divisoria.

“May ilang vendor nagbibigay pa rin sa Carmen Planas dahil sila raw ay tinatakot na paalisin sila,” he said.

The streets where they were allowed to sell do not have enough space for all of them.

Recently, the mayor ordered his staff to prohibit street vendors from operating along a stretch of Ylaya after the vendors left piles of trash in the area.

The vendors are now asking for a dialogue with Isko, but the mayor said the city government is busy at this point after having given them the chance to do business in the Manila’s bargain haunt.

“Binigyan sila ng pagkakataon, sinayang nila,” he said.

“We’re busy paving Ylaya. We’re busy na ayusin ‘yang mga kable ng kuryente at ‘yung mga pinagsasabit nila na mas mabigat pa sa kable ng kuryente , ‘yung panghe. We’re busy to attend to our jobs,” he added.

The mayor warned vendors against certain organizations using them and their issue with the local government for a different agenda.

“There are organizations who would like to ride. ‘Yung mga organisasyon na hindi na kinikilala ng taumbayan, sinasakyan (ang isyu). Kaya ako nananawagan sa mga vendor: Huwag kayong magpapagamit,” Isko said. —Joviland Rita/VDS, GMA News