Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Tuesday, June 18, said he may consider the clamor of consumers and some vendors for the city government to go ahead with the construction of a new P525 million Burgos Public Market.
The mayor said he was informed that there are some Burgos market vendors who are petitioning for the project to push through.
“If the majority are in favor we will reconsider our decision to call off the construction of a new market,” he said.
The mayor earlier cancelled the building of the new Burgos Public Market after the majority of the vendors convened at a meeting voted against it.
Councilor Celia Flor said that not all of the Burgos Public Market vendors were at that meeting. There are now three Burgos vendors’ groups petitioning for the new market, she said.
Consumers are also clamoring for the new market, she said.
Flor said the construction of the new market if it goes ahead will be done in phases.
A temporary market will be built next to the Burgos Public Market where a section of the vendors will be transferred. A section of the new market will then be constructed in the area they vacate over a six month period, Flor said.
When that is complete those at the temporary site will then return to the newly constructed section of the market.
The second batch of vendors will then be transferred from their current location to the temporary market. The second half of the new market will then be constructed in the area they vacate over a six-month period, Flor said.
There will be no disruption to the vendors operations, she said.
While the construction is underway the vendors will also be allowed to operate in their assigned areas rent free, Flor said.*