Megawide: Transfer of 700 Freedom Park, Warwick vendors to start Jan. 28

The new Carbon Market Unit III bagsakan.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Megawide Construction Corp. plans to start moving the 700 identified vendors from the Warwick Barracks and Freedom Park of the Carbon Market to the Interim Market in Unit II starting January 28, 2022.

The transfer was supposed to be done in December 2021, but the typhoon and other concerns had delayed the transfer of the vendors.

Moving the vendors to the interim market is part of the deliverables of Megawide for their Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with the Cebu City government over the Carbon Market Modernization project.

Late Mayor Edgardo Labella and now Mayor Michael Rama had insisted that no vendors will be displaced in the construction of the modern Carbon Market in what is currently the area encompassing Warwick Barracks and Freedom Park.

Megawide spokesperson Anna Salgado told CDN Digital that the transferring of vendors was delayed to ensure that the stalls are ready with the utilities such as water and electricity.

“To clarify, some vendors have started moving in but not yet the full 700 plus. We are working with the Market Authority and the vendors on the move-in schedule and are continuing to address any concerns. We will provide an update as to the timeline.

“What we ensure for now is that the facility, including stalls and connections to electricity and water, and amenities like restrooms are already complete so that move-in will be convenient for vendors and there will be no disruption to their selling. This is also the directive of the LGU to ensure there will be no disruption of vendor selling,” she said in a text message.

The Market Authority recently said they are now in the process of transferring the 700 vendors to the interim market. The validated list had been ready since 2021 when the vendors received their certificates from the market office.

READ: City identifies 700 Carbon vendors to be transferred to interim market

Megawide estimates the transfer to take at least two to three weeks with their target completion of the transfer by mid-February 2022.

The transfer of vendors to the interim market marks the start of the construction of the new Carbon Market in the Freedom Park-Warwick Barracks area.

The interim market will serve as the main vending area for two years until the new Carbon Market is built and all vendors will be transferred to the new facility.

READ: Megawide assures vendors interim market well-equipped amid strike

The impending transfer did not sit well with some vendor groups from Freedom Park and Warwick Barracks. They conducted a three-day strike from January 24 to 26, 2022, ending with a visit from Gabriela Party Representative Arlene Brosas.

Brosas promised to push for a Congressional Inquiry for the Carbon Market JVA in the remaining session days.

READ: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/422118/carbon-market-ve…essional-inquiry ‎

Megawide, for their part, welcomed the inquiry saying they are not worried to be called to Congress as they are a publicly listed company and they went through the proper process with the JVA.

“We’ve been very open about the project details since the start as this is a PPP and Megawide is a publicly listed company. With the LGU, we have continuously ensured that vendors and other stakeholders have been consulted throughout the process and their inputs included in the project plan.”

“In fact, many of their suggestions are being implemented already. We are open to any further questions that our respected members of congress may have on the project,” said Salgado.     /rcg