Baguio City council orders stop to bidding, awarding of market stalls

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The city council, through a resolution, has directed the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) and the City Treasury Office to hold in abeyance the bidding and awarding of all stalls in the city public market that have been previously declared as vacant.
    The council sought the suspension of the stalls’ bidding and awarding in light of the recently approved ordinance providing for a market amnesty program.
    Under the ordinance, an amnesty program for a period of three months shall be granted to concerned stall occupants and/or actual leaseholders to rectify or act on their violations. After the said period, all arising violations shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the city’s existing tax ordinance.
    For the transfer of leasehold rights, the transferee, upon presenting a Deed of Sale, Waiver of Rights, or acknowledgment by the registered leaseholder of the transfer, shall be issued a Contract of Lease, provided that the transferee is personally or physically conducting business in the stall/booth.
    For a stall whose registered leaseholder is already deceased, the compulsory heirs of the deceased person must execute an Extra-Judicial Settlement or Waiver of Rights designating a person (who may not necessarily be a compulsory heir) to be the next registered leaseholder.
    For a leaseholder who is sub-leasing or mortgaging their stall or using a dummy, they must terminate this relationship. The leaseholder, with the consent of the other party, may regain occupancy of the stall. Should both parties fail to agree, the Contract of Lease shall be revoked or cancelled, and the stall shall be declared vacant.
    Section 10 of the ordinance provides that the Implementing Rules and Regulations shall be prepared by the City mayor’s Office.
    Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, author of the ordinance, reasoned that any move to transfer or bid the leasehold rights of any stall in the Baguio City market, including all city-owned satellite markets and the slaughterhouse compound, must be held in abeyance in compliance with the aforementioned provisions of the ordinance.