by Lore Doque
DECADES-OLD STRUCTURE. Baguio City envisions to upgrade the public market.
BAGUIO CITY - Mayor Benjamin Magalong discussed the progress and issues on the plan to rehabilitate the Baguio City Public Market in a press conference at the mayor’s office last March 3. The degrading decades-old structure of the market was cited as reasons behind the plan.
Earlier this year, the city government has entered a P4.3 billion loan agreement with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to rehabilitate and upgrade the Burnham Park and the city public market.
“Malalaman natin ang date ng rehabilitation doon sa evaluation. Depende din kung sinong mananalo sa bidding. Siguro two months to mobilize. We’re looking at June sana para makapag umpisa na ng construction,” mayor Magalong said.
Once the plan pushes through, Magalong plans to relocate the vendors in three different areas temporarily. He assured the customers that each area will have a complete variety of stalls for wet and dry goods.
“We will relocate [the vendors] in three areas. Meron sa slaughterhouse, diyan sa B-Block, and sa sinkhole area. Merong mga vegetables, wet and dry para hindi kana lilipat sa iba-ibang lugar. Parang satellite market siya.” Mayor Magalong said.
The city government also want to focus on disciplining stall owners who violate rules and regulation.
“P200,000 a day ang pera na nawawala sa amin. Maraming stall owners ang hindi nagbabayad and who don’t comply with the requirement to display their permit. Maraming nagkukulang at sila ang mawawalan ng stalls. Ang bibigyan ng karapatan para mag-occupy ay yung mga legitimate occupants,” mayor Magalong added.
The city government also seeks to acquire accurate data on the number of occupants in the market, as well as the record of stall owners who have not been paying their rent.
“Sa tagal na nating mino-monitor yung Baguio public market at minamanage, hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin nila masabi sa akin kung ilan talaga ang nangungupahan diyan. Hindi malaman hanggang ngayon. Wala parin klaro kung sino yung mga occupants,” Magalong said.
Bong Alvar, a stall owner since 1958 agrees on the rehabilitation plan on the public market.
“Ang development ng public market ay maganda para maayos na natin yung palengke dito sa Baguio at pangalawa ay matututo, maipapatupad na yung zoning at kalinisan ng palengke. Okay lang naman kung sino ang makakuha ng kontrata sa bidding basta ang importante ay yung rental ng mga stalls namin dito ay huwag itaas at kagaya parin sa singil ng city government,” Alvar said.
Some vendors also admit that some stall owners sublease their stalls to other vendors. This means that these stall owners, who are supposed to be the tenants, will immediately become the landlords.
“Yung mga iba dito inuupahan nila yung mga pwesto tapos pinapa-sublease. Maraming ganon dito sa palengke kaya yung sinasabi ni mayor, totoo yun. Malaking pera ang nawawala araw-araw sa city government.” Alvar added.
Edited by Felisa Guzman