Under the theme “Save the Baguio City Public Market,” Baguio City residents held a Day of Solidarity on October 26 in front of the said market to express their opposition to its privatization. The activity featured a concert, poetry and zine readings, a photo exhibit, and the screening of documentaries. They called for inclusive and community-centered development that values vendors and those dependent on them.

In October 2020, the City Development Council (CDC) approved the proposed plan of SM Prime Holdings (SMPH) to develop the Baguio City Public Market for ₱4.5 billion under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program. According to the contract, the project will be completed within four and a half months, granting the company a 50-year leasehold over the market. The contract fell under the PPP scheme initiated by the Aquino regime and continued by the Duterte regime.

Tongtongan Ti Umili (Baguio People’s Forum, Inc.) fears that the market’s planned “modernization” will endanger the livelihood of the vendors and those who depend on them. The group said that Mayor Magalong favors the interests of large corporations instead of the interests of his constituents whom he should serve.

“True good governance is sensitive to the people’s experiences. Disregarding the interests of ordinary citizens in implementing development projects is not good. Many vendors may no longer afford the rent for their stalls and might be forced to raise their prices, affecting consumers, especially the poorest,” Tongtongan chairperson Geraldine Cacho explained.

“We are not against market development, but against its effects on the vendors. When you build a mall beside a public market, small vendors are affected. That is what the vendors fear, it is difficult to compete with a large business,” Baguio Market Vendors Association (BaMarVa)’s Atty. Zosimo Abratique said.

On October 23, the Baguio City Council discussed updates on the market’s impending privatization during a special session. It revealed that the city government will manage four floors of the public market, while SM will manage three floors of the commercial building and eight floors for parking. SM will control 64% of the area or about 19,347 square meters of the market, leaving only 11,060 square meters for the public market. It also showed that despite being a PPP, the city will still shoulder the expenses for the relocation site, and that SM only paid rent in advance making it appear that the city spent nothing.

“Now, it is more necessary for the people of Baguio, together with the vendors, to stand and resist the looming takeover of SM in our market,” said Cacho.