CHAPTER 1

Introduction

A research study cited 51% of self employed residents cited participation in

public and informal markets as their principle source of employment. (Raijman, 2001)

Markets that surround within the low income communities have encountered

issues and problems with sustainability or had failed. Insufficient capitalization, poor

understanding and management in the consumers and the market can hamper any new

retail enterprise that will affect the communities’ economy (Ford Foundation, 2003).

Public Market has serve to be the business sector or the center for exchange of goods

and services from different cities and municipalities of the country. The typical public

market is usually to have or to experience poor waste management and sanitation

standards, presence of unprincipled sellers, lack of redress mechanism for consumers

concerns, and no initiate systems of operations, implying the need for renovation

(I-Movers, 2018).

One example of the newly renovated public market is the Mandaue City Public

Market which is officially opened last August 2019. It is located along Zamora Street

at the back of the National Shrine of St. Joseph. It is a two-storey facility worth of

P385 million. Wet goods were sold on the first floor and dry goods on the second

floor. This caters up to 1,046 registered market vendors with 1,194 stalls in different

sections.The registered vendors were those renting stalls at the old public market.
According to the 2011 Market Code of the City, the vendors will pay at least P80 per

day. There has been a renovation in the span of five years from the old public market

at the back of Mandaue Sports and Cultural Center which was damaged by the 2013

earthquake back to its original position where newly renovated public market located.

The Project for Public Spaces (2008) found that markets, specifically street

markets with a particular ethnic character were more likely to succeed that more

generally oriented markets. Public markets provide opportunities for social mobility

to economically and socially marginal communities, while also providing low cost

opportunities for existing businesses to expand into new markets. (Barron, 2016). It is

a place that helps communities connect and grow their economies. It has been an area

where business sectors exchange goods. (Public Spaces, 2010)

These literature focus on the possible economic and community development on

the communities in which they operate and investigate. However, only few focuses on

the utility of a newly renovated public market for sustainability. Hence, this study

finds its importance to be conducted.

The study aims to explore opportunities and challenges experienced by

consumers and sellers in the currently renovated public market in Mandaue City. This

study also serves as basis for further enhancement of implementation guidelines in the

newly renovated public market.