Protecting Livelihoods During Redevelopment
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The Central Public Market has served as an important commercial and livelihood center for General Santos City for more than five decades. Its redevelopment into Palengke Heneral represents a major transformation, but construction inevitably creates disruption for people who currently operate inside the market. The city's procurement system shows that temporary stalls are being planned specifically for displaced stallholders. This is significant because redevelopment becomes more meaningful when the people who rely on an existing public facility are considered throughout the transition rather than only after construction is complete.
Temporary Stalls Could Keep Businesses Operating
For market vendors, losing access to a selling space can immediately affect daily income. A temporary location does not necessarily reproduce the conditions of the existing market, but it can provide an avenue for vendors to continue serving customers while the redevelopment takes place. The city's procurement request includes the supply, delivery, and installation of temporary structures, with an estimated project cost of ₱9,993,628.32. The document also specifies a 90-day delivery period after receipt of the purchase order. The temporary-stall program does not answer every question, but it demonstrates that vendor relocation is being treated as a component of the redevelopment process. Ensuring clear communication and workable arrangements could be just as important to the transition as constructing the new market itself.
Relocation Is Part of the Bigger Market Story
The temporary stalls are connected to a much larger redevelopment effort. In February 2026, the city government signed a public-private partnership with Robinsons Land Corporation for the ₱2.3-billion redevelopment of the Central Public Market. The project is planned as a three-story integrated public market and commercial complex called Palengke Heneral, with improvements in sanitation, ventilation, security, and market organization. The city has also indicated that the old market should not be demolished until an alternative relocation site is ready for affected vendors. The temporary-stall initiative provides a bridge between the old market and the future facility. If properly implemented, it could help reduce disruption for stallholders while allowing the city and its private-sector partner to proceed with the redevelopment. In that sense, the temporary market is not simply a construction requirement—it could become an important part of making the transformation more inclusive.
