Monday, January 12, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Rimaliza Opiña
UNIWIDE Sales Realty is still interested in developing the market.
The company's legal counsel, Ceasar Oracion, issued the statement following the recent denial by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) on the motions for reconsideration filed by two market associations.
“They are still interested, more so with the denial of the motion for reconsideration,” Oracion said.
He said Uniwide is aware of the City Government's plans of spending for the market's rehabilitation since they have been informed earlier of this plan.
However, he told Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. and Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas to write Uniwide about their plans.
He further recalled that officials of Uniwide and the City Government were supposed to meet on August last year but this was cancelled when Bamarva and Homvecsco filed separate motions for reconsideration on the judgment issued on July last year, which declared valid the ordinance that contained guidelines for the market's operation.
Recently, the Regional Trial Court (not the Court of Appeals as earlier reported) Presiding Judge Iluminada Cabato denied the motions. This in effect, sustained her earlier ruling on the issue.
“The ball is now in the hands of the mayor,” Oracion said, referring to the resumption of talks between his client and the City Government.
In the proposed executive budget, development of the market was included in the list of priority developments for this year. Thirty five million pesos was the proposed budget for the development, which covers rehabilitation of the Rillera Building and Blocks 3 and 4.
But the proposed development by the city is not as extensive as the one spelled out in Ordinance 38.
The City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), according to the mayor, is reportedly preparing the blueprint for development.
The Uniwide project costs P1.729 billion and the contract is for 30 years.
In Ordinance 38-1995, development include installation of an open-air steel structure covering 2,500 square meters at the slaughterhouse area to accommodate fruit and vegetable vendors, who are currently situated at the market's hangar section; a multi-level wet and dry market covering 1,515 square meters to accommodate fish, meat, vegetable and other dry goods at Zandueta street and a commercial center at the main market covering an approximate area of 27,000 square meters.
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