3 weeks ago
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BAGUIO CITY — The City Development Council (CDC) has approved in principle the proposed redevelopment of the Baguio City Public Market with an upfront cost of P4.5 billion under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) program.
Following a public consultation on Feb. 20, the city council has referred the proposal of SM Prime Holdings Inc., holder of the original proponent status (OPS), to the CDC which initially discussed the proposal on Feb. 21.
Part of the PPP process is the issuance by the CDC secretariat of a certificate of completeness of documents submitted by the OPS holder as a requirement for further discussion and for confirmation of the proposal before it will be referred back to the city council.
If the CDC finally confirms the proposal, the city council has 120 days to act on the proposal. Inaction on the part of the city council within the 120-day period would mean the proposal is good as approved.
If the proposed redevelopment of the city public market has been approved on the city council level, it will be subjected to a "Swiss challenge," which will allow other interested parties to participate by challenging the offer of the OPS holder.
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In the public hearing at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center, Baguio officials, led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong and members of the city council, have clarified the market redevelopment is not a done deal.
In the proposal, the city public market situated within a 3.9-hectare prime lot in the central business district will have an eight-level parking area, a three-level retail area, a four-level market area and a temporary relocation site for vendors to be displaced during the construction process.
The major concerns that the proposed redevelopment project aim to address include improving parking and accessibility; eliminate risks and fire hazard; better waste management; sustainable infrastructure like rainwater harvesting and potential solar power system; and additional revenue generation for the city government.
In the consultation, a group of vendors claimed the city government is financially capable to implement the proposed project, even as it claimed it might join the Swiss challenge.
Another resident expressed hope the OPS holder will be as transparent when negotiating with the PPP selection committee and to the city council, as they are now representing the general public.
The public consultation was closely monitored by the PPP Center through its representative, Cyris Ann Ng-Santiago, director of the Capacity Building and Knowledge Management Service, who acknowledged that the presentation by the city's Local Economic and Investment Unit of the PPP program is easily understood by the general public.
