Parañaque to build new market

Paranaque City announced the groundbreaking of the P150-million Baclaran Gateway and People’s Market (BGPM) and the LRT-1 Redemptorists Station in November 2019.

The new people’s market will be the permanent home for about 2,000 illegal Baclaran vendors.

Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez revealed that the construction of BGPM will be funded fully by the city government after they turned-down the private-public-partnership proposal of a private construction firm for the project.

Olivarez said the multi-level people’s market building will be built on a one-hectare vacant land along Roxas Boulevard fronting the historic Redemptorists Church in Baclaran.

The mayor said the planned BGPM which will 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 an LRT 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.

He said the people’s market project has the backing of President Duterte and has been approved recently by the Metro Manila Council (MMC), as well as the Metro Manila Development Authority. Olivarez is presently the president of the MMC.

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 administrator Ding Soriano said the tents would provide 2 square meters of space for each vendor.

Soriano is also appealing to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade if the other displaced vendors can be transferred to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) for 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. (LRMC), operator of LRT-1, said 90 percent of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project has 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 Ave. in Parañaque.

Dr. Santos Station is part of the 7-kilometer Phase 1 of the 11-kilometer LRT-1 extension. Phase 1 includes 5 stations out of the total eight.

Asiaworld Station will be built right beside the PITX 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 September 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 4th quarter of 2021. Full operations all the way to Niyog in Bacoor City, are being targeted for 2022.