Clearing Baguio roads

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – The issue of roads in Baguio being used the wrong way had been a concern of officials and local folks over the years in this city of pines no more.
    The city government’s executive department wants to relocate newsstands which had been there over the years like those along Session Road but uses and closes the main road during Sundays so some favored vendors could sell their wares.
Same case with Harrison Road which turns into a market at night and we thought all along roads are supposed to be beyond the commerce of man.
    Laws are supposed to apply to everybody, our neighborhood philosopher says. He adds it boggles the mind why vendors are driven out from roadsides while another group is allowed to do business right at the center of the road.     
    Meanwhile, motorists are griping why Session Road is closed every Sunday since they have to take the longer route. One early Sunday, I parked in front of the former Sky World along Calderon St. to give some papers to somebody who was along Session.
    A man with a tag hanging on his neck, a member of the dreaded Public Order and Safety Division approached telling me I couldn’t park there.
    I asked why the two vehicles in front of me were parked there. He said they will go away.
    How about the other vehicles parked in front of the Prime Hotel? He said those were vehicles of vendors. How about the road going down Calderon to Harrison? He said the area was for jeepneys. Five minutes? I asked. No way, he said, it is illegal to park on the road.
    So off I went and parked across KFC at the foot of Session Road. I thought I could park there as it was in front of road blocks. Another POSD man came and took pictures of the vehicle like it was a spaceship from Mars.
Point of the story? Parking areas should be specified during Sundays and not on whims of power-tripping POSD nincompoops.
    Or better yet, open Session Road on Sundays. The privileged vendors selling along the road could relocate elsewhere like Melvin Jones. But then again, the football ground is supposed to be for players not trade fairs which is another story.
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Traffic lights are another matter. If you are going right from Session to Harrison below Jollibee, the traffic light turns green at the same time the pedestrian light is on putting the vehicle and walkers on a collision course. Same case when you turn right down the road to the Tiongsan area. (The road at the site was painted green so pedestrians could walk there. If that is the intention, barriers could be set up on the road to prevent vehicles from hitting people. Or better yet, take out the green paint. People could use the road side).    
    These are just a few cases of unsynchronized lights compounded by cops who direct traffic contradicting traffic lights. Dangerous situation, I could hear the philosopher saying.
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Anyhow, the city council is set to discuss concerns of street vendors in barangays affected by the city government’s ongoing road-clearing operations.
    A press dispatch sent by Jordan G. Habbiling, Sangguniang Panlalawigan staff, said the forum is scheduled on June 7 during the city officials’ regular executive-legislative meeting right after the flag-raising ceremony.
    The city council has invited the departments of Works and Highways (DPWH), Interior and Local Government (DILG) and City Engineering Office (CEO) to the forum.
    During their regular session last Monday, seven talipapa vendors sought the help of the council regarding their request to stay and continue their business beside a national road at Country Club Village barangay.
    Councilor Michael Lawana, ABC president, said displacement of vendors was due to implementation of anti-obstruction laws affecting all barangays in the city.
    Lawana said the city government has to come up with long-term solutions to help affected individuals while pursuing its mandate against illegal obstructions.
    In December 2020, talipapa vendors at Country Club Village barangay received a notice of violation from the CEO for encroachment on road-right-of-way.
    Engineer Januario Borillo, Traffic and Transport Management head of the CEO, said the city government inspects city and national roads pursuant to a presidential directive to clear roads of illegal obstructions.
    The national rule has prompted his office to issue notices of violation to residents who have built structures within RORs, he added.
    Rene Zarate, district engineer of DPWH-BCDEO, said a notice of obstruction will also be issued to talipapa vendors by his office pursuant to national orders and in consonance with the action made by the CEO.
    According to kagawad Nestor Almag, the barangay council did not issue the talipapa vendors a clearance. The Permits and Licensing Division under the City Mayor's Office stopped issuing vendors a special permit following notice of violation issued to them by the CEO.
    Almag said there was no favorable relocation area in the barangay for the talipapa vendors.
City councilors concluded the city council cannot craft legislation supporting the appeal of the vendors as such action is in contravention with the presidential order on road-clearing.
    The June 7 forum will tackle problems and solutions to the plight of affected vendors in barangays including the central business district. The plight of newsstand sellers is another matter which needs attention as it would affect everybody who want information from their favorite newspapers like the Northern Philippine Times.