Mixed-use medium rise public markets to rise in Quezon City

Plans are afoot for the development of the existing eight city-owned and operated Quezon City public markets into mixed-use medium rise buildings to enhance their physical appearance and facilities as welll as to improve the sanitary conditions in this areas of operation.

The proposed modern public market complex was presented to Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. by Leslie Villorente, who represented the city’s market development and administration department (MDAD) during the executive staff meeting held at the Quezon City Hall Bulwagang Amoranto recently.

Villorente cited the need for the implementation of the proposed mixed-use medium rise public markets to allow residents easy access to public markets in the city. Villorente said the physical condition of the eight public markets, which have been in existence for the past 35 years, are fast deteriorating and they require major renovation.

Originally, the city government has nine public markets until the Dapitan Public Market was privatized under the build-operate-transfer scheme in 1997.

Villorente said the increase in the number of residents in the communities where the eight public markets are located—Kamuning, Projects 2 and 4, Roxas, San Jose, Murphy, Galas, and Frisco — also need expansion and enhancement.

Under the proposal, MDAD chief Neil Lina, who conceptualized the project, said that the conversion of the city’s public markets into mixed-use buildings would generate more income for the city government’s coffer because of the putting up of more stalls, once the project is implemented. Besides, the reduction of public market personnel due to modern facilities in the markets could provide more savings for the city government, according to Lina.

At present, the low stall rental rates ranging from P50 to P 70 per sq. m. monthly, adopted from the old market code of the defunct Metro Manila Commission, MMC Ordinance 85-02, which was promulgated in 1985, is now unrealistic, according to the MDAD chief. He said the current stall rentals are based on existing laws and ordinances. The proposed project, once implemented, could generate additional revenues from P20 million to P25 million from stall rentals alone and business taxes, far exceeding by P4 million the annual MDAD revenue budget.

To date, there are 1,754 stallholders occupying the eight public markets owned and operated by the Quezon City government.

Under the proposed four-story mixed-use high rise building, the basement shall serve as parking space; wet and dry market for the ground floor, food chains, shops and clinics for the second floor, and offices and residential units for the third floor.