Gibraltar satellite market to include Pacdal covered court

The city council has approved the proposal of punong barangays in districts 1 and 11 to use the Pacdal covered court as an extension of the Gibraltar district satellite market.
Pacdal PB Abraham Lagasca said residents, after having been consulted, are in favor of the plan.
The PBs of districts 1 and 11 will work with the City Buildings and Architecture Office to craft a comprehensive plan for the conversion of the Pacdal covered court.
The planned multi-story district satellite market will cost P40 million. The project will commence any time this year.
The PBs asked the city council during its session last Jan. 13 to approve their request, claiming more people will benefit if the satellite market is expanded.
Barangays under districts 1 and 11 are Gibraltar, Mines View, Pacdal, Pucsusan, St. Joseph Village, Country Club Village, Happy Hallow, Lualhati, Lucnab, Outlook Drive, and South Drive.
The PBs said the Gibraltar satellite market, despite its planned modernization, cannot meet the needs of constituents of the district, thus the request for the inclusion of the space at the covered court as part of the district satellite market.
City Buildings and Architecture Office OIC Johnny Degay said the Gibraltar satellite market currently has 41 stalls. Once implemented, the district satellite market will be able to accommodate 97 stalls.
The proposed extension will be able to accommodate roughly 25 stalls, an increase of 25 percent from the 97 stalls expected to be accommodated in the original plan.
The PBs said they also considered allotting the basement of the extension for a parking space to supplement the underground parking space of the district satellite market’s main building.
Councilor Michael Lawana suggested that vendors selling goods suitable in a marketplace be prioritized and vendors selling other products will stay in their current vending places.
Councilor Lilia Fariñas advised the PBs to reconsider their request as she pointed out that the covered court at Pacdal was constructed solely for sports and recreational activities.
Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales also expressed apprehension as “open spaces for sports, cultural, and social gatherings in the city are vanishing.”
Lagasca informed the city council that the new covered court being constructed near the DMCI area at Outlook Drive will be able to accommodate all sports and recreational activities. – Jordan G. Habbiling