By Chito Chavez  At least 2,000 illegal vendors displaced by the national government’s road-clearing operations were the beneficiaries of the “Suki sa Kyusi’’ program of Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte
(Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte official Facebook page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) In Thursday’s launching at Seda Hotel, Belmonte announced the creation of the “Suki sa Kyusi’’ Club which is a government-initiated organization of voluntary micro-business owners that would provide legitimate livelihood options to the city’s informal vendors. “The ultimate goal of this club is to create and organize a productive micro-enterprise community in QC, the QC government will nominate prospective members to the Suki sa Kyusi Club from the list of displaced street vendors,” said Belmonte. Under the program, the displaced vendors will be given the chance to have rent-free vending places enclosed in the Sari-Sari Kuysi 2019-QC night market. The opening of the night marker is slated on November 24 and will last up to January 24 next year. Belmonte vowed to enforce the sense of balance with regards to the city’s road clearing operations and plight of the sidewalk vendors ensuring the city government will continuously provide ample assistance to their group. However, Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) chief Margie Santos clarified the concerned beneficiaries would give their share in the electric bills of the night market stalls they intend to occupy. Belmonte noted the city government is in the midst of looking for additional places like parking areas where other night markets can be established. With these night markets, Belmonte said the vendors can lawfully ply their trade rent-free and without having to deal with extortionists or unscrupulous groups who illegally collect fees for the use of the unlawful vending places. Belmonte said that public markets in the city will be fixed and refurbished to accommodate more vendors. Procopio Lipana, head of the city’s Market Development and Administration Department (MDAD), estimated there are about 5,000 illegal vendors registered in his office with most of them plying their wares in night markets. He noted the city government had several dialogues with privately-owned markets inquiring about the possibility of accommodating the displaced vendors at discounted rental fees.