APALIT -- The local government of Apalit is looking into the possibility of relocating the public market just 500 meters away from its current location in the town’s intersection.
The proposal authored by Committee on Market and Slaughterhouse Chairman Councilor Edmon Simon was filed to move the decades-old public market to a bigger 6,000 square meter lot near its current location.
Simon said the move is aimed at addressing the various concerns raised by consumers, motorists, residents and even stall-owners in the public market. This includes sanitation, peace and order and traffic.
Simon said that the old public market lacks proper maintenance in terms of sanitation, cleanliness and orderliness which is very much important especially on the food and meat section.
The poor waste management practiced in the public market also causes foul odor in the public market vicinity, making consumers, vendors and even motorists passing by uncomfortable, Simon added.
He likewise disclosed that the facility does not also have proper sectioning, wherein dry goods, ready to wear items, meat and other commodities are sometimes mixed in one corridor.
Currently located in the bustling intersection in Barangay San Vicente, the public market is seen to be one of the causes of massive traffic gridlock experienced by thousands of motorists traversing the MacArthur Highway every day.
Simon also cited the concerns of stall-owners who were robbed or burglarized due to lack of security and proper management. The public market is reportedly operating 24 hours due to some vendors who are open overnight, making some stalls exposed to burglary.
“Lahat ng concerns na ito ang gusto namin iaddress kaya nagpropose tayo na magpagawa bagong palengke. Ang design nito ay very well planned, a two-storey building located in Bagong Pag-asa Subdivision na maraming access ways, may allocated parking at siyempre malinis,” he said, adding that management of the facility will be authorized to ensure everyone’s security.
Mayor Peter Nucom, for his part, stressed that the construction of a new and bigger public market will offer more business and job opportunities to Apaliteños.
From the current 451 stalls, the new public market can soon accommodate almost a thousand vendors and sellers, he stressed.
He added that the proposed public market is expected to boost business and commerce in the northern part of the town which is now starting to develop.
Nucom, however, clarified that the project is still a proposal and is currently on first reading in the Sangguniang Bayan. After the third and final reading, it will still be read in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
He also assured the public of transparency on the development of the project and ensured that the decision will be based on the precedence of the majority.
“Kaya po nagpapublic hearing kami para mapulsuhan ang gusto ng tao. Proposal pa lang ito, nasa SB pa, pwedeng ma-reject at ma-approve pero ang pangako ko, magiging transparent po kami sa tao,” he said.
But if approved, Nucom disclosed that the project will be funded through a private-public partnership where a still unidentified company or organization will provide the essential budget for the program.
The old public market will then be transformed into a public park and recreational area for Apaliteños. An infrastructure inspired with the culture and heritage of the town will also be built as part of the tourism program here.
