By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After street vendors across Bacolod City were cleared and relocated to the Bacolod Vendors’ Plaza, along with those situated outside public markets, as part of a nationwide order from President Rodrigo Duterte, Mayor Evelio Leonardia, in response to requests from local vendors associations, issued an executive order earlier this week allowing vendors to set up at the Bacolod Public Plaza.
According to City Councilor Renato Novero, who chairs the committee overseeing the program, said fruit vendors will be located along the Luzuriaga Street side of the plaza, ready-to-wear goods along Gatuslao Street, and foods will be on sale along San Juan Street.
The city official said the program will “give happiness as well as entertainment.”
Novero also affirmed the move was to accommodate for vendors affected by the presidential order.
Vendors will be permitted to operate until January 6, 2020.
Earlier this year, after Duterte used a portion of his State of the Nation Address to call on “all concerned local officials” to “undertake immediate action to ensure the speedy and smooth flow of vehicular traffic,” clearing operations were conducted across the country.
Leonardia previously touted the clearing process, stating, “We’ve seen significant progress.”/DGB, WDJ