Irvin Caballes, chief of the city’s Market Operations Division , said the groundbreaking will signal the start of the civil works for the P5.5-billion project which will be carried out by engineering giant Megawide Corp.Caballes said the MOD has identified at least 600 vendors from Carbon Freedom Park and Warwicks Section who will be transferred to a new location.
“We have the initial numbers and we will submit it to Megawide. We have yet to determine the exact number of vendors as we are still conducting inventory,” Caballes said.Caballes added that aside from finalizing the relocation plans, the city is also considering to upgrade the status of some vendors from ambulant to regular stallholders. “The upgrade will ensure that they will be among those who will be prioritized once the multi-billion project is completed,” said Caballes.
Megawide and the city government through Mayor Edgardo Labella have entered into a joint venture agreement to redevelop the market which houses 5,000 vendors. Several vendors’ associations in the city have opposed the redevelopment for fear that the market will be privatized. Labella, however, assured that the city will not relinquish its ownership and administrative powers over the market once the redevelopment is completed.