There is no final undertaking being done yet for the development of the Baguio City public market.
Councilor Philian Allan, chair of the committee on market, trade, and commerce and agriculture, said the clearing operation being done at the market is not related to the planned modernization of the facility.
“We want to clean the market a little bit kaya inaalis’ yung mga extensions and those that block sidewalks. Kaya naaapektuhan ang mga vendors. The modernization should not be a reason for us not to clean the city market,” Allan said.
She made the remarks during the council meeting on Jan. 6, when a group of vendors sought the assistance of the legislative body to convince the City Mayor’s Office not to implement a demolition order, which was set on the same day.
The Solid Vendors Group, represented by its president Conchita Buasen and secretary, Sabrina Ibasco, asked the council’s help to convince Mayor Benjamin Magalong to allow them to continue occupying the area they call the “mini garden” until such time the modernization plan for the public market shall have been completed.
The group said its members could not transfer to the second floor of the Rillera Building, which was identified as their relocation area because it is occupied by another group of vendors who were transferred from the building’s first floor.
Allan said that in 2013, the group was already told to vacate their current area and proceed to the space identified for them at Block 4.
She added the clearing being done now at the public market is only an implementation of the decisions that were agreed upon in 2013.
Asked by Councilor Lourdes Tabanda to update the city council on the development of the market modernization, Allan said there is no final timetable yet on when the development will start.
“We do not have the exact timeline. We do not know when the works will start because we are still under the planning stage,” she said.
Councilor Mylen Yaranon said she will present the plan before the members during their meeting on Jan. 20.
Yaranon said the architectural design has been subjected to several revisions as the Technical Working Group, which she is a member, had to incorporate the inputs of the vendors and other market stakeholders they have consulted.
Allan added the modernization of the public market, when finally implemented, will be done by phases and assured the affected legitimate vendors will be relocated in an area that is also within the facility so that they will not have to go far.
“The modernization of the market is not immediate. It will have to go through a long process. But we want the vendors to be ready because a lot of investors want to come in. But for now, there is no final deal yet with regards to modernization,” she said. – Jane B. Cadalig
April 30, 2024
