The Unheard Stories of the Sidewalk Vendors of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines

Abstract

Due to the unequal distribution of economic growth, the urban centers outrun the rural areas in terms of progress. This picture allures many of the low income individuals to congregate to the cities and urban hubs in search of quick money. Because of the mismatch between demand and supply of labor, they ended up becoming new entrants to the informal sector and conquer the sidewalks to earn a living. Their presence was ignored until contested space became an issue. Without their intentions, their encroachment on the roads and sidewalks created rivalry in terms of resource utilization. To assess the real score of the issue, this research was undertaken. It involves a combination of opinion survey, key informant interview and secondary data. It attempts to approach the issue in terms of political/legal, social and economic frameworks. The results indicated that street vending becomes a trade of people with no economic recourse. Politicians accord on and off if not whimsical mode of addressing the problems. Indeed, sidewalk vendors are not the real problem but only an index of a more sophisticated social imbalance. It is recommended that local government units must act swiftly in designing an effective intervention program. Keywords - unheard stories, sidewalk vendors, Tagbilaran City