Sidewalk vendors—the poorest among the poor streethawkers—were the main victims of an order of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to local officials to clear streets for smooth vehicular traffic as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
This was revealed by a party-list lawmaker on Friday as she sought a congressional investigation on the DILG memorandum order that she said has resulted in the displacement of thousands of sidewalk vendors.
DILG Memorandum Order 121 Series of 2019, served as basis to displace several sidewalk vendors in Metro Manila and other cities, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said.
“The bases for the order should be reviewed because these were used to remove vendors who were deprived of their means of livelihood,” Brosas added.
The DILG order should be reviewed because it resulted in clearing operations that adversely affected the vendors. It is not a crime to engage in a livelihood honorably,” she added.
On July 29, 2019 the department ordered local officials to clear roads of illegal structures and constructions. Since its implementation, the operation has targeted mostly sidewalk vendors.
This was followed by another memorandum ordering barangays to clear local roads within 75 days.
Brosas said that according to more than 5,000 vendors in Manila, no consultations were conducted regarding the clearing operations and neither were they offered an alternative place for their livelihood. Street vendors along Batasan Road in Quezon City were also displaced without a definite place where they can relocate.
“The memorandum order resulted in the disruption of the livelihood of the vendors and deprived them of regular income for their families,” Brosas said.
“I would like to remind the DILG that protecting and upholding the rights and welfare of the marginalized should be the government’s priority. The negligence of the concerned officials to address the plight of the vendors is a clear manifestation of the government’s lack of concern on the welfare of the poor,” she said.