Weak soil found in new Mandaue City Market site

CEBU, Philippines — The contractor for the construction of the new public market of Mandaue City is redesigning the foundation of the building after it was found that the site's soil condition is less compact than expected.

Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing said the construction of the new market building, located behind the National Shrine St. Joseph in Barangay Centro is only about 65 percent complete for phase one, still far from full completion.

"Ang naka-problema man gud it's because the soil condition of the area where the market is located is a lot less compact that they originally anticipated which they have to do quite a bit more work in the preparation of the foundation," Quisumbing explained in a news conference.

Previously, City Engineer Andres Suson said BSP and Company Inc. won the contract to undertake the project with a bid of P385 million.

At present, about 900 vendors are occupying a temporary market near the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex, outside the old market. Some of vendors can also be found selling across a mall.

To give the vendors a convenient space for selling their goods, Quisumbing said the  city government will finish phase one of the new market building by the end of the year.

"Rest assured nga ang katong second floor and the roofing of the market will be much, much faster so, we expect it to be completed by December," he said.

The city government has allocated for the city's 2018 budget an additional P65 million budget for the construction and completion of the new market building.

Phase two of the construction will follow soon after phase one is completed.

The construction of the new market building started in January 2016, under the administration of then mayor and now Sixth District Representative Jonas Cortes, after the existing market building was declared unfit for occupancy following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in October 2013.

One female fish vendor was killed during the earthquake when she was hit by falling debris inside the old market building. —/JBB (FREEMAN)