TRANSFER of Baguio City’s night market along Harrison Road is being eyed at Kayang Street.
Councilor Elmer Datuin confirmed moves being made to study the transfer of the daily night market in Kayang Street to declog traffic and find a better place for vendors and buyers.
Datuin during a press conference at city hall said Mayor Maurico Domogan is informed of the study done by the city planning office and is awaiting its results.
Chief Inspector Oliver Panagbang, head of the Baguio City Police Office – Traffic Management Unit backed the move saying the transfer of the night market will free the main road of traffic which will be good for city.
Panabang added when vendors occupy the Harrison Road, traffic worsens, saying, its transfer will be best but warned on compliance of vendors.
Moves to set into place a permanent location for the night market are being made by City Hall with various proposals underway since the phenomenon has become a tourist attraction over the years.
Datuin said the Kayang proposal is likened to night markets in other countries situated in the daytime market area.
The alderman also warned the idea is just a proposal, like the relocation proposed at the sidelines of Melvin Jones in Burnham Park.
Datuin added creative crafts are also being studied to be included in the night market to live up to the name of the city cited by Unesco as a creative city for arts and crafts.
Last year, alarm was raised by the City Health Office on reported violations show cooking at the night market where food is displayed without proper storage, food handlers not wearing gloves, hair protection, absence of personal protective equipment, vendors still using plastic, no garbage containers, no washing facilities, no cooking facilities, inadequate lighting and waste water thrown at plant boxes in the Igorot Park.
Since then, cooking has been banned in the area.
At present, there are almost 1,200 vendors converging in the night market with 93 vendors selling food products.
The night market started in 2007 when vendors of ukay-ukay stalls along Calderon Street started selling their wares at night on makeshift tables as well as on the pavements.
For the past years, the night market has morphed into a destination of sorts, with vendors filling a lane in at Harrison road with stalls of dry goods and food.
A lane of the road closes at around 9 p.m. nightly to give way for vendors to set up their makeshift shops while trading goes on until past midnight while a nightly regulation fee of P50 is collected from the vendors.
Based on data obtained from the City Treasury Office, the night market operation is generating a P1.5 million monthly income for the local government.