The City of Bacolod has allotted a total of PHP3.74 million in financial aid to some 748 market vendors affected by the road-clearing operations mandated by the national government.
Executive Assistant Ernesto Pineda, cluster head on markets, said on Monday that Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered the distribution of livelihood assistance worth PHP5,000 each for the displaced vendors.
The latest identified recipients included 408 market vendors, who were given a total of PHP2.04 million.
Of the number, 78 were already given the cash assistance on Jan. 29. The remaining beneficiaries will receive theirs within the week as the release is scheduled in batches to ensure physical distancing.
Earlier, 340 vendors also received cash aid amounting to PHP1.7 million.
The cash assistance is being released by the city government through its own Department of Social Services and Development to the affected vendors in the downtown area, Central Market, Burgos (North) Market, and Libertad (South) Market.
Under Section 4 (II) of Republic Act 11494, or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act,” it is provided that part of the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Interventions includes the regulation of traffic on all roads, streets and bridges, and access thereto and the prohibition against putting up of encroachments or obstacles.
In Memorandum Circular 2020-145 dated Nov. 11, 2020, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directed local government units to comply with the presidential directive to resume the clearing of roads of illegal structures and constructions from Nov. 16, 2020 to Jan. 15, 2021.
Last Jan. 19, Undersecretary Bernardo Florece Jr., officer-in-charge of DILG, issued a memorandum extending the deadline to Feb. 15, 2021.
In Bacolod, full implementation of road clearing was undertaken as the city transitioned into a modified general community quarantine, which requires it to adopt all components of the road-clearing operations under DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-027.
In October 2019, the city obtained a compliance rating of 87 percent during the initial validation conducted by the DILG, following the 60-day road clearing operations. (PNA)
