With the Christmas season just around the corner, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna has issued an order allowing Divisoria, central hub of all retail and wholesale business in the country, to retain its organized set–up to discourage those who may take advantage of the season to create chaos.

The order comes amid reports that some illegal vendors are sprouting in the vending sites, affecting legitimate sidewalk vendors.

In reaction, a joint operation was conducted by the Department of Public Services, DEPW (Department of Engineering and Public Works) , and MTPB (Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau) on the streets of El Cano,  M. Delos Santos, Tabora and Sto. Cristo where all vendors were temporarily cleared to give way for the general cleaning that included a flushing job, collection of garbage, de clogging of canals, bundling of cables, and marking of lines to determine the area for vending. The middle portion is for pedestrians and also some parking areas.

Lacuna made sure that Divisoria would no longer be the old one during his administration as she vowed to continue that no vendors could occupy main roads such as CM Recto which were converted into vending sites then.

It was learned that several complaints were received by the office of Lacuna which led her to order an inspection. It was later verified to be true.

Part of the area ordered inspected is Ylaya street where uniformed stalls were provided by the city during former Mayor Isko Moreno's time that no violations were made and were kept clean by legitimate vendors as they hired their own street cleaners to maintain the area.

It was noted that during these  "BER" months some new vendors may come in as "guerilla" stalls, quietly appearing until it grows and becomes uncontrollable said the source.

"This is the silent order of Lacuna in her desire to keep order in Divisoria as she started setting her eye in the area since the opening of classes where shoppers trooped to the said market to avail school supplies at much-lowered prices," a source who requested anonymity said.