The Parañaque City government will construct a new public market planned to be the permanent home of illegal vendors who have been a problem in the area of Baclaran for more than 50 years.
The groundbreaking of the P150-million Baclaran Gateway and People’s Market will start this month.
Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the project would be funded by the city government after it turned-down the private-public-partnership proposal of a private construction firm.
Olivarez said the multi-level people’s market building would be built on a one-hectare vacant land along Roxas Boulevard fronting the historic Redemptorists Church in Baclaran.
The city chief executive said the BGPM would be built using 60 x 300 meters of “cement slab” placed on top of canals along the service road of Roxas Boulevard.
A loading and unloading zone, overhead pedestrian crossing, and a new Light Railway Transit -1 terminal station will also be built in the area to help buyers and the vendors.
Parking lots will also be constructed at the proposed market, which is expected to be in full operation by the last quarter next year.
“All of our vendors in the people’s market will be permanent and legal since they will pay their respective business permits annually. These will be an additional income for the city coffers,” Olivarez pointed out.
The project is envisioned by Olivarez with the backing of President Rodrigo Duterte and the approval from the Metro Manila Council, as well as the Metro Manila Development Authority.
While awaiting the construction of the facility, the city government will install tents along Roxas Boulevard, where the sidewalk vendors can sell their goods. Some 2,000 Baclaran vendors were recently displaced in the side walk clearing operations in the city.
City officials said the tents would provide 2 meters of space for each vendor.
They appealed to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade if the other displaced vendors could be transferred to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange in the meantime.
The facility will help the public have an easy access to the LRT 1 Cavite Extension 1 project. The P64.9-billion LRT-1 extension project will extend trips from Baclaran Station to the future Niyog Station in Bacoor City, Cavite.
Light Rail Manila Corp., operator of LRT-1, said 90 percent of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project had been acquired.
The first phase of the extension consists of a 7 km stretch with five stations between the Redemptorist Church area in Baclaran and Dr. Santos Avenue in Parañaque.
Dr. Santos Station is part of the 7-kilometer Phase 1 of the 11-kilometer LRT 1 extension. Phase 1 includes five stations out of the total eight.
Asiaworld Station, to be built right beside the PTIX and eventually connected to the planned Metro Manila Subway, forming the Parañaque Common Station.
Requiring a total of 203 piers, construction of the first 67 piers started on Sept. 1 from Dr. Santos Station to Ninoy Aquino Station. Forty piers from Ninoy Aquino Station to Asiaworld Station and 22 piers from Redemptorist Station to the existing LRT 1 Baclaran Station will begin construction next month.
The government aims for Phase 1 to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2021. Full operations all the way to Niyog in Bacoor City, are being targeted for 2022.