Market cooperatives propose P3B market development plan

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – A consortium of cooperatives proposed to the city government to undertake the long-overdue development of the city’s public market with a projected cost of more or less P3 billion.

Lawyer Zosimo Abratique, interim president of the Consortium of Cooperatives for the Baguio City Market Development, stated that the group is composed of the Baguio Market Vendors Cooperative (BAMARVENCO), Baguio Market Plaza Cooperative Multipurpose (BMAPCOM), Baguio Vendors Savings Cooperative (BAVESCO) and the Baguio Maharlika Cooperative (BAMAHCO) that decided to pool their resources together for them to submit a proposal to undertake the development of the city’s public market.

Earlier, two mall developers, SM Prime holdings and Robinsons, presented their overall concept for the development of the public market that had a projected cost of P6 billion that will eventually transform the market facility into a modern market.

Aside from the contributions of the 4 major cooperatives comprising the consortium, the representative of the proponent claimed there are other cooperatives that signified their intention to be part of the consortium providing their own share of the required capital for the project and the special savings from the market vendors.

The consortium tapped the services of young architects who are siblings of market vendors in the preparation of its design that was presented to city officials for their comment and appreciation.

One of the present administration’s 15-point collective agenda is for the modernization of the Baguio City public market to serve as an added tourist attraction for residents and tourists.

Based on the initial computations presented by the consortium to the city officials, the projected rental of P50 per square meter per day of the stalls in the different sections of the public market could be lowered to around P40 to P42 per square meter per day depending on the magnitude of the development to be approved and undertaken by the consortium.

The consortium proposed a modestly-sized building as opposed to the huge structure proposed by the mall developers, and this will be broken into phases, inclusive of the pay parking component of the same, to incorporate the old features of the market with the infusion of the modern elements.

Among the innovations being proposed city public market include the transfer of the flower section to the frontage of the market structure as an added attraction and the re-configuration of the different sections of the market based on the approved project design.

City officials advised the consortium to formally submit its proposal with complete documents for evaluation and assessment by the city government.