City renews permits of 53 newsstand vendors, watch repair, locksmith shops

The City Planning and Development Office and the City Permits and Licensing Division of the city Mayor’s Office do not interpose any objection to the passage of Resolution No. 242, series of 2022 extending the validity of the agreement entered into by the Permits and Licensing Division (PLD) of the City Mayor’s Office and the newspaper stand vendors and watch repair proprietors from July to December 2022 or until such time that the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) has come up with concrete plans and arrangements for their relocation.

In fact, City Permits and Licensing Officer Allan Abayao informed members of the local legislative body that some 53 newsstand vendors, watch repair and locksmith stand operators were able to renew their permits for the year.

He said that of the said number, 25 are newsstand vendors, 23 are watch repair stands and 5 are locksmith stands that are located along various sidewalks around the city.

However, newsstand vendors and owners of watch repair and locksmith stands will be allowed to display their items inside properties that allowed them to do so provided that they are compliant to the 0.6 meters setback prescribed under the pertinent provisions of Memorandum circular (MC) No. 2020-145 of the Department of the Interior and Local government (DILG).

The local government and the public works department are currently implementing the sidewalk recovery program of the national government to allow the encroached sidewalks to be recovered and improved before the full implementation of the clearing operations where the newspaper stand vendors and owners of watch repair and locksmith stands will be affected.

Earlier, the council adopted several resolutions in relation to the agreement between the Permits and Licensing Division of the City Mayor’s Office with the newspaper stand vendors and watch repair proprietors on the sidewalks of the city.

Among the aforesaid resolutions include Resolution No. 694, series of 2020 that strongly supported the agreement between the Permits and Licensing Division of the City mayor’s Office and the newspaper stand vendors and watch repair proprietors for six months extension from January to June 2021 on the stay of the latter at their current locations to give them  ample time to comply with the 0.6 meter setback from the sidewalks or to find a relocation place before implementing DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-145; Resolution No. 330, series of 2021 that requested the City Mayor’s Office to extend the validity of the agreement entered into by the Permits and Licensing Division of the City Mayor’s Office and the newspaper stand vendors and watch repair proprietors from July to December 2021 or until such time that the City Planning and Development Office s has come up with concrete plans and arrangements for a relocation for them to be  accommodated and Resolution No. 104, series of 2022 that requested the City Mayor’s Office to extend furthermore until April to June 2022 the validity of the agreement entered into by the Permits and Licensing Division of the City Mayor’s Office and the newspaper stand vendors and watch repair proprietors. – Dexter A. See