Dabawenyo market-goers will soon be able to have a more comfortable market experience following the PHP740-million renovation and rehabilitation of the Agdao Farmer’s Market, which is now at a 55% completion rate for Phase 1.
According to the Davao City Planning Development Office (CPDO), based on the recent report, Phase 1 of the project is targeted to be completed by the end of the year.
After it is finished, Phase 2 will commence, which will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), to relocate the existing vendors in the location.
In an interview with the City Information Office (CIO), Davao City Economic Enterprise’s Agdao Public Market Market Supervisor IV Maximo Macalipes Jr. said that a total of 495 vendors were pre-identified to occupy the stalls in the three-storey building. However, the raffling of their specific locations is yet to be conducted to ensure fairness.
These vendors are sellers of rice, dry goods, fish, meat, a variety of food like kakanin (delicacies), and vegetables.
Macalipes said that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has appropriated the fund for its construction under Republic Act 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997, also known as AFMA, which mandates them to provide post-harvest infrastructure and facilities for the farmers.
DA identified the former Agdao Public Market as a good venue for it. It aims to help small farmers and fisherfolks to have access to technologies and at the same time improve the handling, storage, and marketing of agriculture and fishery products – which is why it was renamed Agdao Farmer’s Market.
“[We want to] highlight the organic products nga produce sa other farmers. Naa siyay organic section sa palengke (There will be an organic section in our market). At the same time, improve the quality of life of our constituents and modern na atong palengke sa Agdao, more competitive pod sa atong mga existing malls nearby (modernized our markets to make it more competitive with the existing malls nearby),” Macalipes said.
During implementation, one of the challenges they encountered is the vendor’s demand to be located on the first floor. However, with the limited number of stalls on the ground floor, they cannot accommodate them all.
Macalipes underscored that they try to make the vendors understand the situation during the dialogues, saying that not all of them can be on the first floor and come up with a win-win solution.
The first floor of the three-storey building will cater to fish vendors with 126 stalls, meat with 80 stalls, dressed chicken with 20 stalls, seven for commercial spaces, and an ice section with nine storage areas. For the second floor, it will be composed of 167 stalls for variety and dry goods while other areas like eateries and dining areas will be part of the second phase.
The third floor will be for rented spaces such as miscellaneous and other commercial spaces.
He added that the new Agdao Farmer’s Market will also have a parking space for the vendors and market-goers. It is seen to address the traffic congestion in the area.
Asked whether there will be an increase in the rental fee with the modernized facilities, he said that they are guided by the revised Revenue code amended in 2017. Unless there will be another ordinance that will be passed increasing the fee for stalls and commercial spaces, the current rental fee stays.
“[The purpose of the new] market is to generate revenue and maayo ang pamaligya sa vendors and at the same time buying public comfortable pod sila (to have an organized selling of goods and make the buying public more comfortable),” he said.CIO
