SM Prime Holdings Incorporated has been asked to appear at the City Council session on Monday, December 1.
Councilor Paolo Salvosa confirmed that SM has been invited to the regular session as a resource speaker to discuss the contested Public-Private Partnership (PPP) market redevelopment deal.
The goal is for SM to talk publicly about facets of the PPP deal not covered by the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
Salvosa chairs the Committee on Laws, which is tasked with overseeing the discussions on the SM market redevelopment deal. There have already been two public consultations on the matter, gathering stakeholders to air their sentiments on the project.
Under the SM market PPP deal, a mall, market area, parking lot, and development of open spaces will rise in the public market property, with a 50-year lease period. Parts of the area will be operated and managed by SM, while some sections will be delegated to the city.
SM Prime Holdings holds an Original Proponent Status (OPS) for the multi-billion peso PPP proposal for the Baguio market redevelopment. The proposal includes a commercial mall area, ensures the new four-level public market remains city-owned, and features Cordilleran-inspired architecture and improved amenities.
Salvosa added that the next public consultation is scheduled for December 4th, though the venue is still being finalized.
Meanwhile, there is no letup in the market protest, with vendors, residents, and concerned citizens actively demonstrating against the redevelopment of the public market under the SM Market PPP deal.
A signature campaign has also been launched, garnering over 30,000 signatures which have been submitted to the City Council in a bid to stop the project.
The City Council is now in the midst of a 120-day review period for the SM market deal, which started on September 10 and is set to end on January 10, 2026. During this period, the Council will decide whether to accept the project, accept it with revisions, or reject it altogether, sealing the fate of the public market.
The original plan for the review period included an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign in the first two weeks of October, scheduled public consultations by mid-October, and a decision by November.
Salvosa said he targets to submit a committee report by December 11, after which a final decision has to be made by the local council. Maria Elena Catajan