The city government of Baguio will resume the conduct of Session Road Sunday Pedestrianization on May 7 after setting guidelines to address issues about buskers or street performers.
The city government suspended the Sunday promenades at Session Road after the Panagbenga Festival, giving back the main thoroughfare to motorists due to complaints against buskers and complaints from the buskers themselves.
Issues raised include the lack of guidelines on selling and/or merchants abusing their privilege; products sold are not different from market those sold in the market; crowding due to the unregulated operation of buskers; agents making busking a business; busking outside of Session Road and on weekdays; use of animals in busking; mendicants posing as buskers; harassment of buskers by promenaders and vice versa; and unregulated solicitations.
The City Tourism Office serving as the secretariat and overseer of the Session Road Sunday Pedestrianization activity proposed the following guidelines, which were immediately adopted by city executives during a management committee meeting held April 25.
Only buskers accredited by the City Tourism Office will be allowed at Session Road.
Requests for registration will be subject to curation and validation. Strictly, no ID, no busking.
Up to 150 buskers (number can vary as approved) are allowed on one given Sunday. Buskers shall be allowed only during their assigned schedules. All buskers scheduled on a given Sunday shall be assigned an area, moving out from assigned area/s is not allowed. Shared areas must be to some extent, equally divided.
Specially-abled buskers may be exempted from rotation on schedules and areas, as long as registered and endorsed by Persons with Disability Affairs Office. – PIO
