BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance formally designating the area around the Melvin Jones grandstand as the permanent site for the night market, providing funds for its operating structure and for other purposes.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated the amount of P25 million from the annual budget of the city will be earmarked for the improvement of the night market operating structure to accommodate vendors in the designated night market area.
To help in the implementation of the local legislative measure, Yangot recommended the creation of a night market technical working committee composed of the City Mayor as chair, the chairperson of the City Council Committee on Market, Trade, Commerce and Agriculture as vice chair and action officer, and the City Planning and Development Officer, City Budget Officer, City Engineer, City Building Official, City Treasurer, City Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chair, City Environment and Parks Management Officer and 2 representatives from the private sector as members.
The technical working committee shall prepare the comprehensive feasibility and profitability study of the night market operation in the proposed area, prepare the architectural plan for the operation of the night market in the said area, conduct the appropriate survey to determine actual meters and bounds of the area to be delineated and identified and designated as site for the night market; prepare the comprehensive guidelines, rules and regulations for the operation of the night market and submit the feasibility study, architectural, survey plans and guidelines to the City Council for its consideration within 60 days upon approval of the measure.
Yangot pointed out since its inception initially as an experimental activity to completely rid public easements such as roads, streets and sidewalks within the central business district from illegal and itinerant vendors pursuant to administrative Order No. 203, series of 2006, the night market operations at the Harrison road proved to be the best solution. It remained so pending the identification of a permanent site for its operation.
For quite some time, Yangot claimed while the night market operations at Harrison road inevitably addressed the proliferation of illegal and itinerant vendors in the central business district and is actually generating added revenue to the city with a monthly income of approximately P1.4 million, its present site is within a national road and it clearly violates the established rule that open spaces, roads, alleys and sidewalks are for public use and are, therefore, beyond the commerce of man.
Yangot claimed it is imperative that the local government relocate the site of the night market operation to a more secure and permanent location and the area around the Melvin Jones grandstand has been eyed as the best and suitable site to transfer the night market operation considering its location which is near the existing night market.
By Dexter A. See
