BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong is eyeing the repair and rehabilitation of the Maharlika Livelihood Complex (MLC), which is adjacent to the city's public market, to provide convenience to both tenants and the public.

“It has long been a center of commerce and interaction, (and) we aim to transform it into a model of livable and locally inclusive facility for the livelihood of the thousands of MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) and the people of Baguio,” he said in his message during the turnover ceremony of the MLC's management to the city government on Wednesday.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over the management of the complex, located at the foot of Session Road, before its 50-year lease contract on the lot expires on May 30.

Magalong also said the city government hopes to cut the MLC tenants’ rental fees by fixing the issue of subleasing.

“Subleasing, just like in the city market, is prohibited in Baguio,” he said.

Meanwhile, Robert Arevalo, general manager of the MLC, described the MLC as the “center of commerce in Baguio.”

The facility is home to restaurants, beauty salons, and various shops, including those selling “ukay-ukay” or used clothing and gadgets.

Arevalo said the property, which has two titles, has a land area of 5,000-square meters that houses two buildings – the Marbay Shopping Center and the MLC.

The MLC was built during the administration of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was among the major projects of former First Lady Imelda Marcos intended as a livelihood center for city residents and placed under the administration of the DA.

DA Undersecretary for Operations, Agricultural Mechanization, and Fisheries Development Program Roger Navarro said during the complex's turnover that “since opening in 1980, it is a living symbol of Baguio’s resilience and devastation from so many calamities – earthquake, typhoons, and Covid but the complex still stands until today.”

He said the MLC has empowered generations and supported tenants and stakeholders for the past 50 years as entrepreneurs and vendors who have helped build the economy of Baguio.

“With the lease set to end in two days, we now entrust Maharlika’s future to the city government of Baguio. We are confident that under the city government, this historic place will continue to grow serving as cultural and economic cornerstone for the city of Baguio. This is more than just a turnover, a celebration of local empowerment, to the tenant, concessionaires, and service providers. You are the soul and spirit of Maharlika complex. Your dedication has given this complex its life and energy. Kung wala kayo, walang buhay ito (Without you, this center would have no life),” Navarro said.