THE way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, it has often been said.

The northern Cebu town of Daanbantayan hopes this will also be the way to a tourist’s heart.

The town broke ground on a new wet market Wednesday, November 3, 2021, during which its top official also voiced plans to transform the old site of the wet market and its environs into a tourist attraction.

The P24 million Daanbantayan Wet Market located inside the Daanbantayan Public Market in Barangay Poblacion is a 300-square-meter wet market that contractor Rovilla Construction projects to complete in six to eight months, the town announced on its Facebook page.

It will be divided into two areas — the Fish Section and the Meat Section.

Mayor Sun Shimura said placing the Wet Market near the Dry Section of the market is intended to increase sales in the stores as the Dry Section would now be more accessible to customers buying fish and meat in the area.

Shimura also asked everyone to keep the public market clean and orderly so that the Daanbantayan Public Market could be recognized as the cleanest market in Cebu’s fourth district.

The fourth district comprises Bogo City and the municipalities of Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Tabogon and Tabuelan.

As for the old site of the Wet Section, Shimura announced plans for the waterway beside it to host a floating market for fruits.

This would turn the waterway from the market that runs under the bridge in Sitio San Vicente along the municipal sea to Poblacion Wharf in Sitio Mahayahay into a tourist attraction.

He said flood control structures are currently being built behind the municipal hall and that construction of the Breakwater Boardwalk would follow.