TO THOSE who do not know, I just love going to the market. Time was when I would just go and buy this or that. At a very young age, I was taught that the market was divided into two, the wet and the dry. Meat and fish in the wet and then there was the dry goods. I frequented more the dry goods section. It was for toys and shoes.
I would then remember a place called Marbay. I would soon be frequenting this place more. Music lessons and a short stop to a place that sold used car stereos, not sure where it came from, it must be stolen. I still remember my walks there just to have patches made and pants “pa baston.”
Later on it would be the black and white market, the gray market, the imported section. Finding for stuff that just wasn't sold in the local market fancied me. Until today, it is where I would exchange pesos to foreign currency.
Circumstances will change when my being in the market signaled my more than ten years of public service. Going to the market have changed. I was there to do some cleaning by asking Bawadi and the Bureau of Fire and Protection to help me. I would be seen holding a fire hose at midnight, away from public eye and rid it of some daily stench.
More of it will be because of a Meningo scare that was traced to the market by personnel of WHO, DOH and Center for Diseases. There too was a time when I would be with PETA and some animal rights groups particularly for the selling of dog meat. That was a difficult time for me since it was also some of the reasons why I would frequent it. A compromise was made and selling and display of dog meat was soon placed. Cooked and prepared dishes was the only one to be allowed that was the agreement which we made.
The Department of Energy through Usaid once gave a grant to the market for it to change all its lighting requirements and turn towards LED. We did it. Not sure if it was discontinued and forgotten. But at least during my time, I tried to fix what I could.
Despite the pending cases involved in the courts with Uniwide, I would still work for the development of the market, especially that of Block 3. Even when there was a fire, well there was two, I made sure that it would be controlled and not left to burn. Even the stone market from 1917 was restored and not torn down for any new development. But I'm not sure now, there might be some other plans. At least from my end I wanted it restored. It just celebrated a hundred years.
During the earthquake of July 16, 1990, I happen to find myself being caught in the market, by the rice section in fact. I saw Royal Inn (Jollibee Magsaysay) fall to the ground. I just crossed the pedestrian lane when I thought I was tripped before falling. It was actually the tremor that made me fall. I saw UB tilt to one side until the second tremor struck after 45 seconds and it was now tilted to the other side.
Today it comes full circle, and I have come back to the market. A place that holds a lot of memories for me. I will still do my market duties in the market. Just so that Juan knows, I work there.