BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring public and private market and ‘talipapa’ vendors and helpers, except those in malls and shopping complex, to wear color-coded aprons while plying their trade and providing penalties for violators.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated all public and public market and ‘talipapa vendors’ and helpers, except those in malls and shopping complex, are required to war color-coded aprons while plying their trade, red for meat and fish vendors, green for fruit, vegetable and grocery vendors and yellow for eatery and dry goods vendors.
Under the proposal, violators of the provisions of the local legislative measure shall subject the owners, proprietors or managers of business establishments to a fine of P300 for the first offense; P500 for the second offense and P1,000 for every violation for the third and succeeding offenses.
Yangot added the Baguio City Market Task Force will be tasked to strictly monitor and ensure the strict implementation of the provisions of the ordinance.
“The involvement of a healthy citizenry in the city is one of the top priorities of the local government. This flagship project can contribute to the realization of the truism that health minds reside in healthy bodies,” Yangot stressed.
He added a well-managed public market serves as vital part of a healthy urban economy aside from being an alternative tourist destination for local and foreign tourists and the residents as well.
According to him, the vendors in the city public market as well as the various satellite markets in the barangays are major contributors in realizing the goal for a healthy city if they themselves are neat and tidy while they ply their trade.
Article 2, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instil health consciousness among them.
Yangot claimed the vendors will be given sufficient time by the local government to comply with the prescribed color-coded uniforms once the ordinance is enacted into law to guarantee neatness and orderliness in their respective areas of trading.
The chairman of the City Council Committee on Market, Trade and Commerce and Agriculture said the wearing of color-coded uniforms by vendors is one of the recommendations of stakeholders who attended the recently concluded Market Summit held March 3, 2017.
Yangot expressed optimism that the vendors affected by the implementation of the color-coded uniforms will cooperate with the new rules and regulations to guarantee neatness and orderliness in the market and other satellite markets in the different barangays of the city to help in promoting the market as an alternative tourist destination for visitors and for residents to be encouraged to patronize the stalls in the public facility./By Dexter A. See#
