City experimental night market on; new rules set

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan authorized the continued implementation of the experimental night market along Harrison Road but issued new rules to improve the conduct of the livelihood project.

 “There is a need to come up with amendments to the existing rules and regulation to be strictly implemented by the city treasury and the public order and safety division of the city mayor’s office and must be observed by the participating vendors in the night market along Harrison Road to effectively and efficiently address the problems that cropped up since the implementation of the order,” the mayor noted in Administrative Order No. 33.

 The new guidelines govern the screening process for new applicants, the manner of payment of cuartais and the monitoring of the operations.

 In the screening process, duly designated persons will undertake the screening to whom applicants will submit application forms with the following attachments: Voter’s ID or Commission on Elections (COMELEC) certificate of registration or any proof of residence in the city for at least six months; latest community tax certificate and 2x2 ID picture.

The other guidelines in the screening:

 *Applicants need not be members of any night market association;

 *Registration is not transferrable and shall be accepted if there are still available spaces as certified by the POSD but in no instance can the number of registered vendors exceed the number of vending slots which 940.  Mobile vendors shall be allowed to vend coffee and other refreshments;

*Walk-in vendors must be residents of Baguio;

 *Upon approval of application, a registration fee of P300 shall be paid by the applicant and a night market ID shall be issued to the vendor;

*Vending Identification Cards shall be issued by the Office of the Market Superintendent to registered vendors.  The ID card shall show the picture of registered vendor and his or her designated representative.

On the payment of cuartais, the following guidelines will be imposed:

*Except for mobile vendors, a regulatory fee of P50 per night per vendor shall be paid on the Monday of the vending week which is from Monday to Sunday or a weekly payment of P350 per vendor.  Mobile vendors shall pay P30 per night per vendor.  The fees collected, less the cost for administration of the Night Market shall accrue to the General Fund;

 *Payment shall be made to the City Market Office either personally or through their Night Market Association president, by the vendors upon presentation of their ID cards.  Association presidents making the payment must present the list of members and their corresponding ID cards;

 *An official receipt and corresponding vending tag indicating the number of the space to be occupied by a vendor for the week shall be issued.  The color of the vending tag will be changed every week;

*Payments must be received by the Market Office from 8am to 3pm every Monday.  After said time, the Market Office shall receive walk-in vendors who after 3pm shall have priority to the slot indicated in the vending card.  Walk-in vendors will be issued temporary vending IDs in addition to vending tags;

*Late payments shall be entertained after the deadline of 3pm every Monday but the vendor shall still pay P350 regardless of the remaining numbers of nights that he/she is able to vend;

*The market office personnel shall furnish a list to the POSD indicating the name and the vending tag numbers issued.  The list shall also indicate the vacant spaces; and

*In cases of typhoons or any cancellation of night market operation within the week, payments shall be applied on the corresponding days of the following week or on any days to be determined by the treasury office.

Vendors who paid for their cuartais for the week must possess their vending card and ID card during the allowed vending time. Thos who do not possess either card shall not be permitted to sell;

Vendors who fail to sell/participate for three consecutive weeks shall be deemed inactive and shall renew registration to activate status provided that there are still available spaces.  Vendors shall surrender their ID in case he/she no longer wishes to sell in the night market;

The vending time of 9pm to 1am shall be strictly followed.  No vendors shall be allowed to display their goods before 9pm and shall remove all their goods after the vending hours;

The authorized products to be sold in the night market shall be limited to woven materials, silver craft, small handicrafts, communication gadgets, RTWs and wagwag items, artifacts, gift items, indigenous products, dry goods, preserved foods, fruits and vegetables, handy tools, small or light hardware, electric and electronic items.  Finger foods, burgers, hotdogs will be allowed but on a limited basis.  Wet goods, meat and fish (raw or ihaw-ihaw), illegally acquired goods, pirated CDs, DVDs, intoxicating drinks, cigarettes shall not allowed. 

Food carts should be sanitary and in uniform size and as much as possible made of stainless steel or aluminum.  Food carts made of oil cans shall not be allowed.

Display stands shall not exceed the measurement of four feet or 1.2 meters in height and shall not exceed the space allotted for vendors as demarcated by the city engineering office.  Vendors can use umbrellas but shall not erect any permanent structure;

Vendors should maintain cleanliness of their designated area at all times.  Food vendors shall provide proper waste disposal.  Flower boxes and sidewalks shall not be used as storage and selling areas.

Upon due notice and investigation, violation and or non-compliance of vendors of any of these rules and regulations shall be a cause of suspension or permanent removal of the vendor from the night market.  Continued violation of members of an association shall be a cause of suspension or permanent removal of the association leader.

The city will assign 11 POSD personnel with the assistance of two policemen to monitor the night market.  Roving POSD men will monitor and remove illegal vendors or peddlers on other areas of the central business district before and during the night market operation.