Институт прозрачности подтвердил финансовую целесообразность строительства нового рынка в Думагуете

The proposed ₱1.948-billion Dumaguete City Public Market is financially viable and enjoys strong public support even as the National Institute for Transparency and Accountability (NITA) said the project’s long-term economic and public benefits outweigh concerns raised during its review. NITA executive director Carlos Ayala said the group conducted its own assessment, including interviews with market vendors, residents and other Dumagueteños, independently of the city government. The interviews, he said, showed broad support for modernizing the city’s aging public market, with many residents viewing the project as a tangible investment that would directly benefit ordinary consumers, vendors and small businesses. “For many of the people we interviewed, this is where they can actually see where their taxes go,” Ayala said. He said residents want better facilities, safer and cleaner surroundings and a public market that matches the needs of a growing city. “This has been long awaited by many Dumagueteños, and the sentiment we encountered was strongly in favor of finally moving the project forward,” Ayala said. The proposed market is part of a broader infrastructure program initiated by the Dumaguete City government under Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria. The proposal underwent the prescribed local development process, including endorsement by the City Development Council, which voted 9-3 in favor of advancing the project. Ayala said the undertaking should therefore be viewed as an institutional development initiative that has gone through established government processes rather than as a project resting solely on the decision of one official. The proposed financing likewise underwent review and evaluation involving the Land Bank of the Philippines, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance and other relevant government authorities tasked with examining local government borrowing, fiscal capacity and compliance. NITA said these layers of review provide safeguards before a local government takes on a major long-term financial obligation. A feasibility study examined the project’s projected revenues, operating expenses, debt-servicing requirements and long-term economic sustainability. An independent body also reviewed the feasibility study and the project’s financial prudence. While the reviews raised recommendations to refine certain assumptions and strengthen safeguards, NITA said these did not negate the project’s overall viability. “Independent scrutiny does not mean that every concern discovered should become a reason to stop development,” Ayala said. “The responsible approach is to identify weaknesses, correct them, strengthen the safeguards and determine whether the project continues to serve the greater public interest.” In this case, Ayala said, NITA’s assessment is that the benefits outweigh the issues raised and the project remains financially viable. NITA also said the value of the public market should not be measured solely by direct financial returns. A modern market could provide better sanitation, safer facilities, improved accessibility, organized vending areas and stronger commercial activity, while giving the city a permanent public asset. For vendors, the project could provide a more conducive environment for their livelihoods. For consumers, it could mean a cleaner, safer and more efficient marketplace. For Dumaguete City, NITA said, the investment could help provide a stronger foundation for sustained economic activity. Ayala also cited other major developments in the city and Negros Oriental, including the Medical City hospital now under construction, as indications of continuing investment in the area. “What people want to see is development that reaches them directly and improves everyday life,” Ayala said. He added that the efforts of the Sagarbarrias in their respective roles in the city, province and congressional district reflect a continuing focus on public welfare and development. For NITA, the message from Dumagueteños was clear: protect public money, maintain transparency, safeguard vendors and allow necessary, lasting development to move forward.