Arson probers checking Baguio market five cause; vendors set for relocation
>> Friday, April 7, 2023
BAGUIO CITY – The City Council backed relocation of
fire-displaced vendors at Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market.
This, as investigators are still ascertaining the cause of the fire through forensic examination of evidence gathered from an area where the fire is believed to have originated.
Under Resolution No. 174, series of 2023, local legislators cited the need for the fire-displaced vendors to continue their established sources of livelihood at similarly ideal locations for vending in the city that is accessible to market goers for them to be able to sustain their economic activities.
Earlier, the 5-hour fire which ravaged Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market on the night of March 11, 2023 that was declared fire out at around 4:38 am of March 12, 2023 has affected a significant number of vendors and leaving an estimated damage of more than P24 million in terms of public and private properties in the said area.
The council pointed out that the rubble left by the fire required tremendous clearing and the need to relocate the vendors temporarily along Zandueta St. until the burned area was declared safe and ready for occupation.
Aside from Zandueta St., the fire-displaced vendors have been allowed to do their vending activities along Hilltop St., Kayang St., portions of Malcolm Square, portions of Perfecto St. and portions of Burnham Park to allow them to earn income while the local government is doing its best to put up temporary stalls for their safe vending operation.
Some 1,700 vendors from Blocks 3 and 4 of the city market were reported by the local government to have been displaced by the fire incident that razed nearly one-third of the market facility.
Meanwhile, city officials authorized supplemental budget from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund worth P8 million to buy supplies and equipment to facilitate to construct temporary stalls of affected vendors of Blocks 3 and 4 of the burned city public market and to restore roofing of livestock area.
This, as investigators are still ascertaining the cause of the fire through forensic examination of evidence gathered from an area where the fire is believed to have originated.
Under Resolution No. 174, series of 2023, local legislators cited the need for the fire-displaced vendors to continue their established sources of livelihood at similarly ideal locations for vending in the city that is accessible to market goers for them to be able to sustain their economic activities.
Earlier, the 5-hour fire which ravaged Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market on the night of March 11, 2023 that was declared fire out at around 4:38 am of March 12, 2023 has affected a significant number of vendors and leaving an estimated damage of more than P24 million in terms of public and private properties in the said area.
The council pointed out that the rubble left by the fire required tremendous clearing and the need to relocate the vendors temporarily along Zandueta St. until the burned area was declared safe and ready for occupation.
Aside from Zandueta St., the fire-displaced vendors have been allowed to do their vending activities along Hilltop St., Kayang St., portions of Malcolm Square, portions of Perfecto St. and portions of Burnham Park to allow them to earn income while the local government is doing its best to put up temporary stalls for their safe vending operation.
Some 1,700 vendors from Blocks 3 and 4 of the city market were reported by the local government to have been displaced by the fire incident that razed nearly one-third of the market facility.
Meanwhile, city officials authorized supplemental budget from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund worth P8 million to buy supplies and equipment to facilitate to construct temporary stalls of affected vendors of Blocks 3 and 4 of the burned city public market and to restore roofing of livestock area.
Under
Appropriation Ordinance No. 30, series of 2023, P7.7 million will be allocated
for procurement of supplies and equipment for the put up of temporary stalls
for affected tenants of Blocks 3 and 4 while P300,000 will be allocated to purchase
supplies for restoration of the roofing of the livestock area that was affected
by the 5-hour fire that gutted a huge portion of the city’s market facility.
In a
certification dated March 15, 2023, the city’s Local Finance Committee
certified that the amount of P8 million is actually available from the City
disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund – trust fund to support the request
of the local chief executive for the procurement of necessary supplies and
equipment to facilitate the put up of temporary stalls for affected vendors of
Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market and also to restore the roofing of the
livestock area in the said facility.
Earlier, the
local chief executive requested for a budget allocation of P10 million as
prepared by the CDRRMO, City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), City
Planning and Development Office (CPDO), and the City Budget Office to address
the post-fire incident recovery at the city public market, and the concurrence
with regards to the proposed relocation sites at Malcolm Square, portions of
Perfecto St., portions of Hilltop St., Kayang St., Zandueta St. and portions of
Burnham Park.
The said funds
are for the immediate implementation of post-fire recovery operations and
relocation of affected vendors to comfortable and safe relocation.
However, there
has been a revision to the previous request for supplemental budget amounting
to only P8 million from the previous proposed budget of P10 million where the
same will be chargeable against the CDRRMF-TF for the procurement of necessary
supplies and equipment to facilitate the put up of the proposed temporary
stalls at Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market and the restoration of the
roofing at the livestock area. – Dexter A. See
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