4 MIN READ

By CHRISTIAN DAVE RUZ
www.nordis.net

This article was first published on the author’s Facebook account on October 24. It has been edited for clarity.

Probably, some are still asking—especially the youth or students who are not familiar or have not been following—what’s happening to our beloved market. Do we not want development? Why are there protests?

1. No one is arguing that the market shouldn’t be developed. It should be. We are all for it. Pero sino at para kanino?
2. This has been discussed for years. It never progresses because it always leans toward privatization (see: Uniwide). The people’s opposition has always been strong. Back in 2019, the city reopened the discussion and formed a team to work on it.
3. Amid these, SM forwarded an unsolicited proposal in February 2020—kumbaga, “nagkusa sila.”
4. The crucial step, often overlooked: In July 2020, while everyone was struggling during the pandemic, the local government decided on the modality for developing the market. There were three options: PPP, equity financing, or a bank loan. PPP was chosen by a majority of the council under the executive’s influence.
5.  And that’s it. PPP it is. Soon after, SM was given the Original Proponent Status (OPS) in October 2020.
6. Since SM’s proposal was unsolicited, it wasn’t based on terms set by the city or its people (which we argue shouldn’t be the case—services as essential as this shouldn’t be open for unsolicited proposals). Our city, our terms. More than that, the market should never have entered this process in the first place. We ended up “negotiating” with SM. Funny.
7. Those “negotiations” began in 2021. They crafted 34 terms of negotiation that remain confidential to the public.
8. The market vendors and the community have remained consistent since Day 1. In every consultation, every information drive, and every forum, we say: Yes to Development! No to Mallification!
9.  All these fell on deaf ears. We were met with technicalities and excuses, which brought us to where we are now.

Where are we now?

The City Development Council approved the SM proposal, though with some objections, through a resolution dated September 10. On September 12, the Mayor’s Office officially forwarded the proposal to the city council for deliberation. The council has 120 days to decide whether to approve or reject the proposal, or probably negotiate again. The deadline for that decision is January 10, 2026.

For the past months, city officials have been asserting that:

1. The ₱4.5-billion SM proposal is a “legacy project” that is said to benefit the people of Baguio.
2. It is not privatization, they claim, because SM will develop the market, but the city will operate it. The plan divides the area into three parts: the market, an SM retail center, and an SM-managed parking lot.
3. They promised a 70–30 division: 70 percent (the market) managed by the city, and 30 percent (the SM retail center and parking lot) managed by SM.
4. They call it a “win-win” setup—SM develops the market, but the city operates most of it.

Of course, no one believed that. Negosyo ‘yan, ano ba. During the October 23 special session, the city budget office confirmed that SM will actually occupy 48 percent of the total land area for its retail center and parking lot, leaving only 52 percent for the public market. This could be worse. This is a clear corporate takeover.

By the way, SM’s parking building will be eight stories high, while its retail center will have three stories—directly competing with local market vendors. The public market itself will have four stories.

This is a threat to livelihoods, to our culture, to our community. Much is at stake. People everywhere are speaking up from different angles, but with one clear position. Go read up.

TODAY IS THE 42ND DAY (Oct 24) SINCE THE PROPOSAL WAS FORWARDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

If the council approves it, the Swiss Challenge will begin (and really, who else can challenge SM but another giant corporation?).

What must we do?

UNITE. AS IN. ALL IN. We’ve done this before—against Uniwide, against Jadewell. Let’s pressure our elected officials to listen and stand with us.

Actually, they don’t need to use up the 120 days. They can decide now. The position of the main stakeholders—the market constituency—and the public is clear, and what matters most: YES TO DEVELOPMENT! NO TO MALLIFICATION!

We have a louder, stronger voice. The proposal is now in the hands of Baguio’s elected officials, who are accountable to us.

JUNK AND REVERSE that July 2020 resolution defining PPP as the modality for market development! If not, even if the SM proposal is disapproved, the same system remains in place. Maybe not SM next time, but another big corporation! Also, hello—it was passed at the height of the pandemic! Everyone was out of focus! Even then, dissent was already loud.

It is the government’s responsibility to develop the basic facilities in our city, such as the public market. The people are even willing to help. Market cooperatives have long supported community-led development. We do it our way, for and with the community.

Short on funds? Then let’s unite against corruption. Go after the corrupt and use that money! These issues are not separate. We reject corruption because it is exactly why we’re always told “there’s no money,” when in truth, there is. It’s just stolen.

Anyway, this is getting long—LABAN BAGUIO! The fight continues!

Shoutout to the youth! Come and learn from the market vendors and join their fight—it’s the fight of the whole Baguio!#nordis.net

*The author is a youth activist based in Baguio City and the current local coordinator for Makabayan Coalition.