BACOLOD City – More than 100 ambulant vendors operating around the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) are expected to relocate to a newly developed private market behind the government complex by the first week of December.
City Administrator Atty. Mark Steven Mayo said the relocation schedule had been finalized with the private property owner, with the new vending hub expected to accommodate food sellers, blind massage therapists and other vendors.
The affected vendors are scheduled to sign lease agreements with the property owner on October 28, 2026, formalizing their occupancy and rental arrangements at the new site.
Mayo clarified that the relocation would not be limited to vendors operating around the BCGC, as vendors along North Capitol Road would also be accommodated.
The new market is being developed on private property owned by the Gonzaga family, which also donated the land where the BCGC stands.
Under an agreement between the city government and the Gonzaga family, the private property owner will develop and operate the vending facility, while the city government will facilitate the relocation of the affected vendors.
Mayo said the arrangement would not require public funds for the development of the facility.
The market will feature a covered structure and provisions for basic utilities, providing vendors with designated spaces to continue their businesses in a more organized setting.
Vendors who choose to occupy spaces at the new site will pay rent directly to the property owner. Previous discussions set the minimum rental rate at P100 per day for a six-square-meter space, with the actual amount depending on the size of the area occupied.
The relocation will affect members of several vendors’ organizations, including the Bacolod Alliance of Small Entrepreneurs, Bacolod Dry Goods Association, BCGC Unity Vendors and Micro Bacolod Vendors Organization, as well as groups representing blind massage therapists.
The city government has been coordinating with these organizations to facilitate the transfer and ensure the new facility can accommodate their needs.
The relocation is also intended to address the conditions governing the donation of the land on which the BCGC was built.
Earlier this year, the City Legal Office issued notices directing vendors occupying portions of the government center’s grounds to remove their structures and vacate the affected areas.
The city government has maintained that clearing the premises is necessary to comply with the land donation’s conditions while helping vendors preserve their livelihoods.
With the new market, the affected vendors will have an alternative location to continue operating instead of having to find individual spaces elsewhere in the city./PN
