LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—There is a possibility that residents and small business owners within the La Trinidad public market may file a petition opposing the construction of a three-strory mall.

This was learned by the Baguio Chronicle in an interview with Caloy Ham, building owner along KM 5 La Trinidad Benguet.

According to Ham, there was no regarding the construction of a three story mall now being utilized as a parking area near the public market.

Ham, a twenty-four year resident occupying a building adjacent to the proposed mall said we want to be consulted of the planed mall as residents of living adjacent to the area.

Ham said, the mall will only benefit the mall owner and big businessmen and will put small businessmen like him out of business.

We are now studying the possibility of filing a petition to oppose the construction of the mall, he said.

The Sangguiniang Bayan of La Trinidad has recently ratified the Memorandum of Agreement between Mayor Artemio Galwan and the JARCO Realty and Development Corporation for the construction of a three-story building under the a Build-Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme.

Under contract JARCO will develop a 3,910 sq. m. lot currently utilized by the municipal government as a pay parking area. The projected cost of the three storey building is around P268,000,000.

The project has been duly approved by the Sanguniang Bayan of the Municpality in its resolutions numbered 25-2008, 192-2008, 199-2008 and 149-2009.

In a separate interview, Mayor Artemio Galwan said, this is not a new idea, in fact, the discussions on the JARCO development started around 2007 or 2008.

According to Galwan, “the Municipal Development Council (MDC) recommended that the best way of improving the market and making it economically viable and beneficial to the munc.is through the Build Operate and Transfer Scheme”.

The MDC composed of all barangay officials sectoral reps approved, civil society groups recommended to the municipal council the approval for the construction of a mall at the vacant lot owned by the municipality after deliberations and the benefits and others were discussed, the mayor said.

The approval of the municipal council went through a lengthy discussion before a resolution was filed by the council for the approval of the building taking into account the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) law.

Galwan said, the municipality will not be spending a single centavo for the construction of the structure under the BOT law.

We must maximize the economic use to develop the space of the market area as it is not used to its maximum, he said.

The construction of the building will commence upon the issuance of necessary permits to JARCO, he stated, adding under the BOT law, there is no mention of public consultations before a project could commence.—larry madarang