The Taguig City government has initiated a program aimed at helping street vendors and those affected by the city’s intensified road clearing operations.
The local government opened the Weekend Markets project in three locations in the city to give residents more livelihood opportunities.
The vendors sold products alongside other small and medium entrepreneurs at the Flea Market Bazaar, and at a Farmers and Wet Markets in Mercado del Lago and Veterans Road in Western Bicutan over the weekend.
The project is also in line with the program of Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano to promote tourism and have safer roads in Taguig.
“Through new markets that were launched over the weekend, ambulant vendors who had previously been removed from the streets in a comprehensive drive to improve mobility across Taguig City now got a new opportunity to earn,” said Cayetano.
This initiative is also a crucial step in the Mobility Plan of the city of Taguig, he added.
Cayetano said that when the local government started to clear roads of all kinds of obstructions, among those affected were business owners.
“The city has always acknowledged that they have families to support, so Taguig City has actively sought ways to legitimize their businesses and give them spaces where they could generate income without becoming distractions and chokepoints on the roads,” the city chief executive said.
Apart from establishing safety through mobility, the development of these markets offering a wide selection of ware will also provide a consistent livelihood for small and medium enterprises but also elevate the local economy and boost tourism by attracting customers both within and outside the City to visit these markets.
Moreover, as part of the city’s plan of going zero waste, single-use plastic is prohibited from all sites. Joel E. Zurbano
The local government encouraged the public to bring their own recyclable bags.
Eco bags, net bags, and bayongs were also given away to shoppers free of charge. This is in line with the city’s commitment and proactiveness in lowering Taguig’s solid waste by 80 percent.
Proper waste segregation stations were also made available in the markets.
The three satellite markets are only some of many sites that the city government is studying for the possibilities of putting up like activities. Parks, schools, covered courts, idle lots and secondary roads may soon transform into marketplaces over the weekend.