Erwin Tulfo: Gov’t aid defeated by red tape among street vendors

MANILA, Philippines — Government livelihood assistance risks being defeated by burdensome requirements that make it difficult for street vendors to legally operate their businesses, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said Thursday.

“The problem for many vendors is that the [Department of Social Welfare and Development] already provides capital, some from the [Department of Trade and Industry]. But when they begin selling, they encounter problems because so many requirements are being asked of them,” Tulfo said during a joint Senate committee hearing he chaired on proposed measures seeking to establish a Magna Carta for informal ambulant vendors.

“There are too many requirements. If they fail to meet them, they are considered illegal vendors… Many of them get discouraged by this constant harassment and tedious red tape,” he added.

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Likewise, the senator criticized the practice of assigning vendors to areas with little foot traffic, saying this defeats vendors’ ability to earn.

League of Provinces of the Philippines’ Angelica Sanchez, however, raised concerns over allowing vending on sidewalks, citing pedestrian mobility and the safety of both the public and vendors.

Tulfo, along with other invited resource speakers from agencies like the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, then called for simplified and uniform requirements across local government units (LGUs).

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Atty. Noel Sala noted that LGUs already have Business One-Stop Shops and systems integrating barangay requirements into city or municipal business permit applications to streamline said applications. /mr

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