A NEW and modern public market is now ready to cater to consumers and residents of Masantol town with the inauguration Monday, April 16, of the Phase 2 of the Masantol Public Market.
Mayor Danilo S. Guintu, who led the blessing and inauguration, said the local government provided P3 million, while the provincial government headed by Governor Lilia Pineda allocated P5 million for the construction of the facility.
He said the new public market, located in Barangay Sto. Niño, has 50 enclosed and open stalls, of which 32 are utilized for dry goods while the remaining 18 tabletops are for the wet market.
“The old public market gets flooded even with just slight rain or high tide. That is why we prioritized the public market since this is the center of commerce here,” Guintu said.
The new facility is elevated by three meters from the road. Guintu said cleanliness and sanitation will be a requirement from each vendor to ensure that meat and other food commodities are safe for consumption.
“We are ensuring the convenience of buyers and consumers but the priority will be the safety, security and health of our townmates. We will definitely monitor the market’s cleanliness,” he said.
Aside from the market facilities, Guintu said a Philippine National Police remote office was also constructed inside the market to easily monitor the situation and provide quick response to emergency cases.
The inauguration of the new infrastructure project is part of the three-phase public market rehabilitation program implemented by the local government here.
The first phase of the program, which was allocated for the meat section, was inaugurated in September 2016, while the last phase is set for construction later this year and will be designated as the area for other dry goods and services, Guintu said.