The centerpiece of this urban renewal program is the upgrading and improvement of the Central Public Market (CPM) complex and the restoration of Queen Tuna Park’s erstwhile role as a family recreational area, the two key features that energized the Dadiangas CBD in the past. Plus, some reorientation and with a few added elements to increase the odds of the benefits of this limited-focus redevelopment spreading to the entire district.
The city government has plans to revitalize the CPM under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach and has availed of technical assistance from the PPP Center to build its capacity for handling such an arrangement.
Redeveloping a strategic piece of property within the CBD will create a catalyzer for the revival of the entire district.
The team, however, conceives of rebuilding the CPM complex not just a place for selling basic wet and dry goods needs of residents but more importantly as a showcase of Gensan’s indigenous crafts, chief farm produce, unique product offerings (e.g., halal meat), tri-cultural identity (Christian, Islam and Lumad), and heritage. It will also offer community services, such as dining, coffee shop, and small specialty retail shops. In essence, the idea is to transform CPM into a “destination market”, with a niche market that distinguishes itself from the typical modern shopping malls.
Reinforcing this concept is the improvement of the nearby mosque and plaza area, which can enhance the value of the cultural community surrounding the destination market from the standpoint of tourism. Green infrastructure and landscaping will create a public plaza that is more pleasing to the eye and serves as a recreational area and a smooth green transitional zone towards the Queen Tuna Park (QTP). QTP will reclaim its old role as a public beach, to be retrofitted for beach sports, leisure activities, a dining row, and hosting of festivals and special events. There will be a passenger boat deck for trips to other coastal municipalities, boat fishing, and sightseeing tour around Sarangani Bay. Better traffic management, ample parking spaces, and improved road and transport system, especially along Acharon Boulevard, will complement the initiative to make QTP more accessible again to the public.
Informal settlers will be moved to either the proposed public rental housing complex in an adjoining new district to be developed or to a resettlement area at the west end of the planned urban coastal redevelopment strip.
Along the 2.3-kilometer coastline defining the end-to-end southern boarder of the redevelopment will be a coastal bay walk, a bike-and-pedestrian-friendly linear park where smaller, secondary events can also be hosted, such as acoustic mini concerts, magic shows, and street art. This will also serve as a green buffer zone and General Santos City’s contribution for the preservation of the Sarangani Bay protected area.
With the potential success of revitalizing the CPM and QTP, soliciting private investments for mixed-use property development in the new Sarangani Bay District would be a less daunting task. And should complete the Urban Coastal Redevelopment Program. A win-win solution for the city government, private investor, and residents living within the urban coastal strip and nearby areas.
For the national and city governments, the price tag of this program is in the ballpark of PHP 2.5 billion, at 2020 prices, perhaps closer now to PHP 3 billion, given the recent price escalations. This excludes the cost of developing Sarangani Bay District and the facilities that private parties might put up in Queen Tuna Park.
And, of course, to be successful, General Santos City must have a competent and dedicated program management team in place, who will handle the technical and financial evaluation of proposals for each of the project components of the program, coordinate with government agencies for the approval of project permits and licenses and ensure smooth and effective operations during the life of the program.
About this Research
Although it was an interdisciplinary team effort, the more crucial, innovative, and creative tasks in the Urban Coastal Redevelopment Program were performed by the urban planning team. The author of this article provided support in terms financial and economic assessment of the program.
Bing Icamina | Economist & Management Consultant 