ILOILO City – The city government is scouting prospective investors to develop public markets in the metropolis under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, however, clarified the small vendors will continue to stay in their stalls.
“We will retain the ground floor for the vendors. We will protect social issues. The investors may be free as to how tall they will decide to go up with their development,” Treñas said.
The city’s markets are not meeting their target collections and suffering from congestion, clogged drainage system, leaked roofs as well as flooding.
PPP has been considered an option and best solution to implement priority infrastructure initiatives amid budgetary constraints.
“We need to enter into PPP. It will ensure revenues for the city government. Our markets are also in deplorable state. We want to have the best public markets in Western Visayas,” Treñas said.
The mayor formed a group to handle potential PPP improvements including rehabilitation and upgrading of public markets, city slaughterhouse, waste-to-energy facility, mixed-use horizontal development complex, and sports arena.
The slaughterhouse rehab has already attracted eight interested firms while the waste-to-energy plan has drawn three groups.
Treñas has tapped the expertise of the PPP Center to assist the city in its bid to realize PPP projects.
A team from the Center recently inspected the Iloilo Central Market and Iloilo Terminal Market, the two biggest public markets in the city.
An orientation workshop was also conducted on Aug. 22 and 23 for the newly-constituted PPP Selection Committee.
A technical working group aids the committee.
“There is a need to fast-track PPP programs and projects to accelerate infrastructure development in the city and sustain economic growth,” said Treñas who chairs the team.
PPP is in accordance with Republic Act No. 7718 or the “Act Authorizing the Financing, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Infrastructure Projects by the Private Sector, and for Other Purposes, otherwise known as the Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT) Law.” (Iloilo City PIO/PN)
