BAGUIO CITY — The Maharlika Livelihood Complex (MLC) is envisioned to become a livelihood and cultural hub in line with its original design and purpose.
However, before this vision can be realized, the city government must first address long-standing issues that have affected the facility for years, including structural repairs, policy gaps, and questions surrounding tenancy and subleasing arrangements.
To address these pressing concerns, the Baguio City Council, through the Office of Councilor Jose Molintas, held a public consultation with MLC stakeholders on June 19, 2025.
During the public consultation, Molintas stressed the need to remove sublessors from the MLC as soon as possible, pointing out that their continued presence runs counter to the city’s intended direction.
Although the MLC is part of the city market system under the Market Ordinance (Ordinance 2000-002), City Budget Officer Leticia Clemente noted that it functions more like a mall than a traditional market.
Nevertheless, since it is technically within the public market system, the 1:1 policy still applies, meaning only one stall is allowed per vendor.
Official policy dictates that tenants must personally manage their stalls, but in reality, many have subleased, sold their rights, or delegated operations to their employees.
Clemente remarked that subleasing, arguably the most serious concern, has become a passive income source for many stallholders.
In his statement, Mayor Benjamin Magalong vowed to put an end to long-standing irregularities at the MLC, declaring that the city government “will correct all these wrong practices as mandated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”
The city government’s Transition Committee officially took over operations of the MLC on May 31, 2025 and assumed management of the parking area on June 3, 2025.
All tenant contracts with the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Human Settlements Development Corporation (HSDC) were originally set to expire on April 27, 2025 but were extended until May 30, 2025 to allow a smoother transition.
With the expiration of existing contracts, the city initially planned to open applications for leasehold rights at the MLC, with priorities given to the current actual occupants, recognizing their continued presence and investment in the space.
However, this plan was set aside pending repairs and the formulation of policy guidelines, a status quo arrangement was proposed, allowing actual occupants to remain in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Molintas stressed that, instead of imposing a status quo arrangement, the city council should craft a specific ordinance to govern the operations of the MLC during this transition period.
“At present, the city is relying on the existing market ordinance, but this approach is being questioned by some sublessors who argue that the provisions of the market ordinance may not be directly applicable to the unique setup at MLC. Without a clear and dedicated policy, confusion and disputes are likely to persist,” Molintas stated.
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