ILOILO City – The Swiss challenge period for the redevelopment of the Iloilo Central Market and Iloilo Terminal Market ended on July 25 with no challengers to the project proponent SM Prime Holdings.
According to Atty. Quintin Magsico Jr., vice chairman of the Iloilo City Public Private Partnership – Selection Committee (PPPC), the period for interested entities to submit a challenge had expired with none submitting their challenge.
“After the expiration of the challenge, we passed a resolution on July 26 recommending to the mayor the awarding of lease in favor of the proponent,” said Magsico.
The recommendation of the committee was approved by Mayor Jerry Treñas and yesterday, July 27, he issued the Notice of Award in favor of SM Prime Holdings.
“We are now preparing the lease agreement. As soon as we are done with the documents, we will schedule the signing,” Magsico added.
Incorporated in the documents to be signed is the contract for the projects.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) unanimously approved late last month two resolutions moving forward the redevelopment of the city’s two biggest markets.
One resolution authorized Treñas to enter into and sign a lease agreement with the prospective proponent having the best responsive proposal for the redevelopment of the two public markets.
The second resolution approved the tender documents for the lease agreement for the redevelopment of the markets and issuance of the same documents to interested bidders in the market project.
The lease agreement has a 25-year validity.
Comfort rooms, parking facilities and effective drainage system are being included in the markets’ development plans to make it easy and accessible for the public when buying their needs in the markets.
The improvements will likewise solve traffic congestion and perennial flooding in the market area.
And because the markets produce tons of trash, a Sewage Treatment Plant and Materials Recovery Facility will be established. These will transform the markets into environment-friendly buildings.
“The operations will remain with the city government under the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO), including collection of tax dues. There’s no displacement of vendors as bona fide stall holders are assured of spaces. There might be additional stalls as the facility will become spacious,” Treñas earlier stressed./PN
