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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Pardo market gets nat’l model award
By Linette C. Ramos
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Once hounded by mismanagement and financial problems, the Pardo public market is now one of the five model public markets in the country after it was chosen for its cleanliness and the affordability of commodities sold there.
The Pardo public market was selected in the “National Search for Huwarang Palengke 2006” conducted by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
A P500,000 cash award awaits the management of Pardo market, as well as four other winners: Agdao public market in Davao City, General Santos public market, Legazpi City public market and San Fernando public market in La Union.
Unique
Christopher Lucero, officer-in-charge of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division of DA 7, said Pardo public market was chosen for its cleanliness and consumer-friendly practices.
“Their market is unique because it was the only tiled market we saw. It’s well-organized and the meat and fish were very fresh and prices were reasonable,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
The market’s consumer complaint desk, price monitoring bulletin board, the price tag on the commodities, proper hygiene observed by vendors and their “Timbangan ng Bayan” also got the approval of the judges.
A total of 14 public wet markets across the country were nominated by their respective local government units to join in the search.
They were judged according to adherence to consumer protection laws (25 percent), hygiene and sanitation (50 percent) and composite retail prices of commodities (25 percent).
In 2002, the public market’s management drew criticisms from Mayor Tomas Osmeña and other city officials and the Cooperative Development Authority after irregularities and management deficiencies were noted.
The market was built through a P26-million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines during the term of former mayor Alvin Garcia.
The facility was not income generating and arrears and fees paid by stall holders were not enough to pay for the loan interest, much less the loan principal, said then city administrator and market authority chairman Nigel Paul Villarete.
Improvements
Because of this, the mayor ordered the demolition of the stalls of some vendors, including those that did not have business permits.
He also decided to convert the second and third floors of the Pardo public market into classrooms to accommodate students of congested public schools nearby.
The market’s management also sought financial help from the City Government sometime in 1999 after it failed to pay some P600,000 worth of electricity bills.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said it is up to the Pardo public market management what they will do with the P500,000 cash reward.
“It’s for them there. Let them throw a big Christmas party and give big raffle prizes, whatever. I certainly am not interested in keeping it,” he said.
But in a phone interview, Lucero said the cash award will be given to the management for market improvements.
Osmeña and the management of the market have already been informed about the award but the date of the awarding ceremony has yet to be announced.
Now on its second year, the search is held annually to ensure that commodities of good quality and affordable price are made available to the public in wet markets, Lucero said.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 20, 2006 issue)
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