9/25/2020 Baguio Midland Courier Website

Your Ad Here

Friday, September 25, 2020 99th Baguio Charter Day Anniversary Issue

NEWS
City
Remembering the lessons of the Supplement
Articles
Region past for the future: The Baguio :: Which Baguio
Centennial?
• Abra
• Apayao City Market :: Baguio Midland
• Benguet by Liza Agoot Courier Builder
• Mt. Province :: The 4 Fs across
Health the times
Tourists come to Baguio because of many reasons, but a trip to the city
Business
without a stroll and purchase at the city market is as good as not visiting
:: Kennon’s own
Sports Baguio at all. report on the famous
Considered as the show window of the city, the market is endowed with zig–zag
OPINION fertile economic activity, where different kinds of enterprising individuals :: What if Baguio
stay and income-generating activities are undertaken.
• Editorial settled for a railroad
• Charivaried Undeniably, the market is also riddled with problems, like unmanageable :: A look into Baguio’s
• Circumstantially solid wastes, theft and robbery cases, illegal ven-ding, incidents of transport system
Factual physical injuries, zoning problems, corruption, and the never ending
problem that the city government continues to face: its development.
:: Baguio: A Citadel of
• City Council Learning
• Dear Manang A short history
The existing city market became the center of trade of Kafagway even
::
Growing up in early
• Ethnos Ibaloi Baguio
before Baguio became a chartered city. It has always been the area
• G-String
• Labor Frontier
where products from the lowlands and products from the highland areas of ::
Early recollections
the old Mountain Provinces were traded among local buyers as well as the
• La Voce del viajeros. ::
Baguio’ cool climate
Popolo keeps tourism,
It was formally established as the Baguio City Public Market in 1913 and economy vibrant
• Opposite
covered by a transfer certificate of title for an area of 77,770 square
Connection
meters.
::
Development of
• Your Medical Burnham Park is city’
Corner concern
In the 1960s, an area of 4,672 sq. m. was leased to the Baguio Hilltop
Enterprises, where the Hilltop Hotel used to stand; while 5,000 sq. m. was :: Look, young man,
leased to the Human Settlement Development Corporation, where the on this tree city, now
OTHER SECTIONS
Maharlika Livelihood Center and Marbay presently stand.
Tribute :: The Anatomy of
Lifestyle At present, the city market occupies only 61,707 sq. m. Squatting in Summer
Week's Mail Capital
From the early days of its creation as a trading area, the market was
Speaking Out divided into blocks and sections virtually imposing a zoning of the different
:: Baguio’s Many
Animated Me products sold therein. There emerged the blocks 1 to 4, the hangar People
True or False market, footwear section, caldero section, tobacco section, dry goods :: Bring Baguio Home
Snapshots section, sari-sari section, rice section, fruit section, hot cake section,
flower section, etc. :: The Cordillera
Editorial Cartoon Warriors
Plus Juan In 1974, the city council passed an ordinance to set order in the conduct
of businesses in the entire city including the city market. The ordinance
:: A native–born
aimed to implement rules and regulations governing the conduct and scans: The Future of
Obituaries Baguio
operation of businesses, trades, amusements, and other enterprises in the
City of Baguio and prescribed permit fees, taxes, and other fees and :: Cement Pours into
Other Links: charges. Baguio

This same ordinance detailed the prescribed rules and regulations ::

A futuristic master
Your Ad Here governing the administration and operation of public markets in the city, plan for Baguio
and prescribed the rates and rentals for fixed stalls, booths, rooms, and
other fees. The ordinance also empowered the city treasurer to have direct
::
Should BMC start
and immediate supervision, administration, and control over public tweeting?
markets and the personnel implementing the rules in markets and trade ::
Behind the scenes:
areas. searching the Midland
Archives
The 1974 rules governing the market were revised in 1986, which were
further revised through a tax ordinance in 2001, and most recently, in ::
62 years of
2007. important events in the
city
Fire incidents at the market
All efforts to make the market beautiful by implementing zoning and tax ::
My hometown
ordinances have been affected by a series of fires over the decades. Baguio City

In the Jan. 10, 1960 issue of the Baguio Midland Courier, the headline

www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/centennial_article.asp?mode=centennial/supplements/agoot.txt 1/4
9/25/2020 Baguio Midland Courier Website
written by Bert Floresca and Romeo Florendo says, “Arson seen in P1.5M
fire (four blocks razed in 4-hour blaze).”

The news story revealed the destruction of more than P1.5-million worth
of property and rendered more than 120 families homeless, which
according to investigation then conducted by the detective bureau of the
Baguio police department, was the result of arson. The fire incident which
happened at 3:30 in the morning was well responded by the Baguio
firemen, but they were virtually helpless because of lack of adequate
firefighting equipment, aggravated by the lack of water due to low water
pressure. The dawn fire incident gutted what Baguioites then called as the
burned area and where the Baguio Centermall presently stands.

A fire again occurred in February 1970, which affected the stone market
built in 1917. An estimated damage of P2 M was reported. Like the
previous incident, malfunctioning equipment was one of the causes of the
delayed arrival of the fire truck.

Midland’s Feb. 22, 1970 issue stated that the fire was reported by a
policeman on beat to have started from the back of the stone market
building. He told investigators that he noticed electric wire sparks from
some stalls adjacent to the stone market building. The policeman rushed
to the fire department to sound the alarm while his companion turned off
the electric switch in the area and later called for help through the local
radio stations. Fifteen minutes after the alarm sounded, the city fire truck
arrived at the scene, although the city fire department was just a few
meters away. Capt. Avelino Noble, then city fire chief, told the city mayor
and investigators that “the fire truck would not start because of a dead
battery and it had to be pushed.”

In its editorial in the same issue entitled “Calamitous Fire,” the Midland
discussed how unsafe the downtown area is from destructive fire because
the local fire
department is practically helpless in preventing the spread of blazing
flame.

Another incident on March 15, 1970 set the dry goods section of the
market on fire caused by faulty electrical wiring.

Two decades since then, as published in the Sept. 6, 1992 issue of the
Midland, at the dawn of Sept. 1 a fire incident brought the market ablaze
like a giant birthday candle for Baguio’s Charter Day celebration. This
incident damaged the vintage 1917 vegetable and fruit section building
estimated to be worth around P10 M. The fire incident was caused by
faulty and antiquated electrical wiring.

In recent times, the sari sari section of the market was razed on April 11,
2008 just after the Holy Week celebration and again last March 2 at
around 3 a.m., the fruit and vegetable section adjacent to the recently
burned portion was also razed to the ground. The ultimate causes for
these fires have yet to be determined.

Due to the unorganized placement of products in the market, aggravated

by the limited if not small alleys, the market has recently been declared as
a ‘fire hazard’. Added to this is the fact that many have inhabited the
market as either their permanent or temporary residence. While sleeping
inside the market has been disallowed and this rule has been made
known, still, a lot of vendors blatantly disobey the rules and regulations,
which makes the market more prone to fire.

Being a fire zone, ready to go up in flames any time, the city’s attempt to
insure the market never prospered. This status of the market made it
ineligible to be insured for any kind of peril.

This year, after the old stone market was gutted by fire, the city
government took the initiative to purchase new equipment which include
breathing apparatus and fire proof coats and boots that would enable
firefighters to enter an enclosure without endangering themselves.
Additional pieces of equipment were provided by the city government to
the fire office as it won the National Kalasag Award.

Earlier, during the administrations of mayors Bernardo Vergara and

Mauricio Domogan, additional vehicles were also purchased by the city
government to address the lack of fire trucks.

Aside from the government’s effort, various non-government

organizations, firms, and businesses have also established their own fire
offices and bought fire trucks, that augment the resources of the city.

The fire office and the city government have also penned an agreement
with the water delivery truck owners to provide assistance and water in
times of fire incidents.

Market development, Uniwide enters the picture

Every time the market is damaged due to fires, the city often comes to the
rescue to repair, rebuild, and remodel the damaged portions. For a
number of times, millions of pesos have been appropriated to fund small

www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/centennial_article.asp?mode=centennial/supplements/agoot.txt 2/4
9/25/2020 Baguio Midland Courier Website
developments just to be able to bring back the displaced traders to their
original selling areas and continue with their livelihood.

From a previously organized market where one simply needed to proceed

to one area to find a particular commodity, the market has become topsy
turvy; a disorganized place where stalls selling fish are adjacent to a
wagwagan, or to any kind of product.

Due to this, the market has been tagged as a ‘danger zone’ meaning, it
can cause a major disaster that could affect thousands of persons and
destruction to billions worth of properties.

In 1992, the city council through a resolution requested the city planning
office to prepare an integrated development plan of the entire city market
so that any construction that will be made will be in accordance with the
plan, for the purpose of establishing order and without destroying the
nature of the city market as a public market.

The study identified five problems, from constricted roads to health and
sanitation, as well as legal issues concerning ambulant vendors, and even
peace and order.

Ordinance 038 of 1995 was later approved, which provides for the
guidelines for the development of the market through a design, build, and
lease scheme. A subsequent ordinance was approved in the same year for
the drafting of the guidelines for the bidding based on the mode of credit
financing or such other investment arrangements as my be proposed by
the city development council. The bidding process for the development
started in 1995.

Uniwide won during the said bidding. This, however, led to numerous
cases filed by market stakeholders against the city government
questioning legalities of the resolutions and ordinances which led to
Uniwide’s entry into the picture.

Thirteen years after, the trial court in the city came up with its judgment
declaring legal the award to Uniwide of the market development. Such
decision was elevated to the appellate court and is pending up to the
present.

Market Summit
Various political administrations have passed and politicos’ promises were
heard like broken records, but order at the market was very far from
being resolved. Pleas from market stakeholders and residents alike to
develop the market have fallen on deaf ears.

This year, the compelling need to convene stakeholders and other interest
groups to the first ever market summit was met, initiated by the city
government through the market committee of the city council.

Spelled out in this summit were the existence of problems, such as

garbage, cleanliness and sanitation, peace and order, existence of
peddlers, the constricted alleys, and dilapidated and inadequate
structures.

A common ground of agreement was resolved in the summit with the end
in view of restoring law and order, improving public health, safety,
rationalizing stall space leasehold rights and occupancy, and maintaining
peace and order conditions.

A revelation was brought out in the summit whereby it was learned that
there are 1,845 legitimate and permanent stalls; 1,687 temporary stall
owners; 1,046 ambulant vendors; and an estimated 508 viajeros.

The summit reported that the “present public market has long needed not
just a facelift nor a mere upgrading and maintenance of its facilities. It has
been left behind in the race for urban modernization and is now,
admittedly, a sorry excuse for a public market in such a favorite tourist
destination as Baguio City. It is miserably incongruous with the rest of the
Pine City. It must deserve its special place within the unique economic,
cultural, and sentimental milieu that is Baguio at the turn of the century.”

The summit output were short term recommendations to address the

issue pertaining to peace and order, physical facilities, garbage disposal
problems, as well as legal issues surrounding the market and the overall
market development. Recommendations for long term action to address
the long-term development of the city market were also spelled out.

A review and updating as well as amendment of the market code to make

it conform to the changing times, particularly on sub-leasing, expanding
the representation of vendors organization in the market development
council, and the resolution of the problem on unregulated peddling should
be undertaken.
A recommendation to declare the city market as a heritage site was also
given.

www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/centennial_article.asp?mode=centennial/supplements/agoot.txt 3/4
9/25/2020 Baguio Midland Courier Website
To solve the issue of overcrowding, the recommendation was to identify
and develop satellite markets and or another market.

Long-term solution
Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. said that his ultimate goal for the market is for
the city to have an administration over the city public market.
The Uniwide, he said, remains to be the entity clothed with authority over
the entire market as embodied in the court decision declaring the award of
the development to them.

Bautista said the city’s hands are tied to the point that small
improvements like the restoration of the sari-sari and tourist markets
which were razed by fire early this year had to be consulted with Uniwide
and their permission obtained. While it is true, he said, that whatever
monies are infused in the market to improve its condition even for a little
might go to waste in case there will be a full blast development, he has to
do something to make the market look presentable as the city celebrates
its centennial.

“As father of the city, I am obliged to provide the constituents with the
comfort for humanitarian consideration.”

Aside from the repair of the recently burned area, the mayor has asked for
an allocation to be able to organize blocks 3 and 4, which have become an
eyesore, as well as caused health problems, and likewise become a haven
of criminals who operate at the market.

Taking a cue from the market summit, Bautista has ordered the conduct of
a feasibility study for the putting up of satellite markets around the city.

As of this writing, City Camp and Pacdal have been identified as sites
which are expected to start construction as soon as documents have been
completed.
Two others, at Irisan Barangay and along Kennon Road, have also been
identified. The city government can provide P1.5 billion for the
construction of satellite markets.

Bautista said that satellite markets will benefit the city a lot. Decongestion
of the city public market will be primarily addressed, not to mention the
traffic decongestion eased because people will no longer proceed to the
city market just to buy a kilo of fish or a bundle of vegetables.

“We are building communities by building satellite markets as well as

changing the landscape of economics.”

City council committee on market head Elaine Sembrano, who regularly

visits the market to obtain first-hand information about the situation, said
that the threat of market vendors that they will not vote for the politician
who will “touch” them or disrupt their source of livelihood cannot be an
obstacle that will stop the officials from fixing the market’s status.

“It is not only for the city, but even for the market people and more
especially, the residents and the transient marketgoers who will have the
comfort and convenience as they enjoy the luxury of being able to choose
the best products for them,” she said.

As public markets in other places are built and rebuilt to conform to the
changing needs of the people and the changing times, the dream to see a
Baguio public market which is organized and conforms to health
requirements is still a thing of the future, that the city officials, the
stakeholders, as well as the residents have to work hard to attain.
Meantime, it is hoped that a finality in the decision of the court of the
market’s administration be resolved in the nearest future to finally
determine the public market’s fate.

Home | About Us | Editorial Policy | Contact Us

News | Opinion | Snapshots | Week's Mail | Obituaries

Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved. baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph

www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/centennial_article.asp?mode=centennial/supplements/agoot.txt 4/4