Thursday, February 21, 2008 After Edsa anniversary, vendors leave
CITY Hall extended the deadline for vendors of Unit I Carbon Public Market to Feb. 26, after failing to inform the contractor that it has three days from yesterday to begin building the ramp.
The City Market Authority previously gave the vendors until yesterday to transfer to Unit II so WT Construction can start building the P135-million market ramp.
But City Engineer Antonio Sanchez reportedly failed to issue the notice for WT to proceed with the project. The contractor is supposed to start three days after Feb. 26.
“After I met the vendors last week, Engineer Sanchez was not able to send the letter informing WT that the city administrator gave them three days from Feb. 20 to begin working, so the deadline for the vendors was moved to Feb. 25,” said City Market Administrator Raquel Arce.
Since Monday is a holiday, which marks the 22nd anniversary of the Edsa People Power 1, the deadline for the 150 to 200 vendors to evacuate to Unit II was moved to Feb. 26.
Arce met the vendors Friday last week because they will be affected once phase one of the project begins.
Clearing
The vendors agreed to transfer.
After Arce and the Market Police demolished Unit II’s fence last August to allow vendors to move there during the construction period, WT still failed to start the project.
It alleged that vendors failed to clear the area on Escaño St. fronting the Visayan Electric Company plant and a portion of Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita.
In an interview yesterday, Arce said there was also the request for the vendors to move into Unit II only after City Hall has asphalted the vacant space.
But City Administrator Francisco Fernandez has yet to consider the request, she said.
The ramp would allow motorists to go through M.C. Briones St. without passing by Quezon Blvd., which is expected to ease vehicular traffic in the area.
Space
It will also accommodate all vendors displaced by a 1998 fire that destroyed the Unit II building and those affected by the construction of the ramp.
When the City bid out the ramp three years ago, WT won and was awarded the contract.
But the company could not proceed with the work because Young Builders Construction built a fence around Unit II and refused to allow entry to the area until the City pays an additional P6 million. That further delayed the construction.
Young Builders had been awarded the P22-million contract by the previous administration to rebuild the Unit II building.
Instead of reconstructing the market, Mayor Tomas Osmeña later decided to have the ramp built.
Young Builders asked for the P6 million for additional work not covered by the contract.
But the City initially refused because of the unauthorized variation orders and lack of a building permit. (RHM)
