THE Ministry of the Interior and Local Government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MILF-BARMM) announced that the P25 million public marker projects of Pigcawayan Cluster in the Special Geographical Area (SGA) is nearing completion.

“Our public market in the Pigcawayan Cluster, SGA is almost complete," Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, MILF minister said in a statement.

Sinarimbo said the public market, once completed, will provide business opportunities while at the same time allow constituents and other neighboring villages to have easy access to goods and services.

“Farmers and fisherfolks will be able to market their goods easily,” Sinarimbo said.

“Padian or market has been the engine of growth in our localities. It has also been a venue for people to converge and converse and thus, build social cohesion,” he added.

He said that the P25-million worth public market features stalls for both wet and dry goods, and a mezzanine.

He said its windows’ architectural design makes it more appealing while allowing fresh air to pass through its tiny holes.

The official said that the inclusion of okir design on the building beam ends is noteworthy.

Okir is a pattern carved in wood, brass, silver, and depicted in wall paintings, featuring curvilinear lines and Arabic geometric figures, which also represents the artistic originality of the Maranaos.

The office of the Project Management Development Division of MILG said that similar facility is currently being constructed for each of the eight clusters of SGA. (SunStar Zamboanga)