Optimism, challenges surround Quinta Market’s reconstruction
Construction of the new Quinta Market in Quiapo has commenced immediately following the clearing operations on the ageing facility which is envisioned to sport a new image that could rival major supermarket chains.
The new Quinta market in Palanca Street will be three stories high and would include a clean and modernized line of 360 stalls, a bus terminal and fish port as specified in the 250-million joint venture agreement with investors.
Foundation pillars are now being erected, four months after the structure was demolished.
“The foundation structures are now put into place. The soil is very soft, we cannot do this in a quick manner. They have to build a very strong foundation because we have the Pasig river below,” Quinta market master Joey Delada said in an interview. A fighting chance for wet markets
Earlier, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada lamented the sorry state of Manila's public markets, prompting consumers to flock to supermarket chains selling fresh produce instead.
“But who could blame them?” Estrada said.“The markets are stinky and dirty. This is why we have the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) so we could give our markets a fighting chance with big supermarket chains. We are hoping to win back our consumers,” he said.
The city of Manila has entered into a JVA with Marketlife Management and Leasing Corporation (MMLC) for the refurbishment of Quinta market under Ordinance 8346 or the “Ordinance governing joint ventures between the city of manila and private sector partners” passed on May 2014.
Under the JVA, renovation costs of the Quinta market will be shouldered solely by Marketlife Management and Leasing Corporation which will also operate the market for 25 years.
No displaced vendors
Demolition of the old Quinta market in July spurred controversy after its vendors protested and expressed fears of displacement after the new market is built.
City officials quickly appeased the angry vendors with no less than the mayor himself awarding certificates of security of tenure to legitimate vendors in Quinta market.
Legitimate vendors, according to city hall, are merchants with updated rental fees and business permits.
Last July, only 270 vendors who were given certificates of security of tenure but this month, the number has increased to over 300 as more vendors decided to comply with the city hall requirements for vending in public markets.
While construction is taking place, the vendors were relocated to the perimeter surrounding the old Quinta market in 1.5 to 2 meter stalls arranged by sections so as not to disrupt their means of livelihood.
Likewise, payment of rental fees of stallholders in public markets covered by the JVA have been suspended through Ordinance 8425 passed last October 20.
The other markets that are up for renovation are San Andres market, Sta. Ana market and Sampaloc market.
The city council has assured the vendors that they will not be disadvantaged by the JVA agreement.
Incremental rental hike Earlier, Vice Mayor Francisco Domagoso said there will be only be a measly four peso increase from the daily 40 rental fees they are paying to the city hall prior to the renovation.
“Upon completion of the construction of the market, the increase in rental fees is only four pesos so they will pay 44 for two years. After that, it will be 48.40 for another two years. For 25 years, the total increase in rental fees is only 356,” Domagoso said in a city council session tackling the JVA recently.
Unsatisfied vendors
Despite being provided space outside the marketwhile construction is ongoing, several vendors are far from satisfied.
Some of them assailed the small space made available to them.
“Sa liit ng puwesto na pinaglipatan sa amin ay mistulang mga manok kami rito at animo kami ay nasa isang oven dahil sa tindi ng init. Giniba yung dating matinong palengke para lang kami pahirapan. Lahat kami dito ay nagkakasakit na dahil sa tindi ng init (The space given to us is too small, we are like chickens in a cage or stuffed in an oven due to the excessive heat we have to bear, many of us are getting sick. The old market was demolished to give us a hard time),” Edith Santos, vice chairman of Quiapo Public Market Development Cooperative (QPMDC) told Rep. Amado Bagatsing who visited the vendors recently.
Bagatsing is challenging Estrada and former Mayor Alfredo S. Lim for the Manila mayoralty post in 2016.
Graft case Estrada and officials of the city council are facing a graft case before the Office of the Ombudsman for the demolition of Quinta market after the vendors failed to secure a temporary restraining order last July.
In the 10-page complaint filed by the vendors last August 10 at the office of the Ombudsman, the vendors said the JVA resulted to their displacement and accused the city officials of violating the “Anti-graft and corrupt practices act’, the government procurement reform act and the act authorizing the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure projects by the private sector.
The Manila Federation of Public Market Vendors Association, Inc. filed the graft cases against Estrada, the joint venture selection committee, secretary to the mayor, city legal officer, city treasurer, city planning and development officer, city engineer, two representatives of the city council and members of the board of Marketlife Management and Leasing Corporation (MMLC), Carlos Ramon Baviera (president of Marketlife), Rolando Evangelista, Jacques Ian S. Lee and Joseph Michael D. Lagman. “Everything is above board.” Estrada said he is confident that the graft case will not prosper since everything was done legally but some are sowing intrigues on the project.
“We did not enter into any illegal contract or arrangement on Quinta market and everything is above board… these vendor organizations stand to lose their usual perks and subrentals which are against the law. That is why they oppose modernization and change,” he pointed out.
In the complaint, the vendors also questioned the legality of the MMLC as a business entity citing a record from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that revealed the firm was incorporated only on November 11, 2014 when it supposedly submitted its 'unsolicited proposal' to the city hall on September 15, 2014 which was approved on October 20, 2014.
Also in the complaint, the vendors, represented by its president, Juliet S. Peredo, also questioned MMLC’s business address as indicated in its official documents submitted to the city hall.
According to the vendors, the address provided by MMLC, Unit 2018 Mayfair tower United Nations Avenue corner Mabini street in Ermita, is 'nonexistent' according to a certification from the project manager of Mayfair tower condominium corporation.
But In a phone interview, Baviera explained why they were not an incorporated entity at the beginning of the proposal.
“We are a consortium of investors and we were told by the office of the secretary of the mayor that we need to be incorporated because they do not want to talk to us individually so we filed our papers at the SEC. As with our address, we gave notice to the SEC that there was a typographical error on our file cover sheet and articles of incorporation regarding our address,” Baviera told the Manila Bulletin.
Baviera sent the Manila Bulletin a copy of the MMLC letter to the SEC dated July 30, 2015 informing the latter about the typographical error on its address that was typed as Unit 2018 instead of Unit 2108 Mayfair Tower UN Avenue corner Mabini Street Ermita, Manila.