Baguio City seeks ₱27M to rehabilitate Maharlika Complex basement

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The city government has requested around ₱27 million to rehabilitate the basement of the Maharlika Livelihood Center, which was gutted by an eight-hour fire last September.

City Budget Officer Leticia O. Clemente, who also chairs the Maharlika Livelihood Center Transition Committee, said the funding request has been endorsed to the City Council for approval to allow displaced stallholders to resume operations as soon as possible.

Clemente explained that the rehabilitation will include the installation of a sister system and restoration of the electrical wiring to ensure compliance with the Philippine Electrical Code and National Building Code, preventing similar incidents in the future.

She added that the city government has also sought financial assistance from the Office of the President to help implement the initial rehabilitation phase.

The Maharlika Livelihood Center was formally turned over to the city in May following the expiration of a 50-year lease with the Human Settlements Development Corporation (HSDC) under the Department of Agriculture.

According to the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), full rehabilitation of the structure could cost as much as ₱350 million.

Clemente said the local government is exploring various funding sources to complete the full restoration of the facility, envisioned to become a major hub for the city’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)