DANAO City will soon have a new public market and its first-ever museum following the inauguration of its newly renovated core values park on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
The public market, which was damaged by fire in 2022, will rise anew on the same location in Barangay Poblacion.
The upcoming facility to be called “Merkado sa Danao,” or Danao Market will be a two-story commercial hub that can accommodate 1,200 stores. It is expected to strengthen local commerce and enhance the city’s economic landscape.
Danao City Mayor Thomas Mark “Mix” Durano and Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano led the groundbreaking ceremony for the new market and the city’s first museum.
The City Government has allocated P400 million for the construction of the new market. The funds will be taken from a Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) loan.
Meanwhile, the museum will cost around P20 million to build in three phases.
Vice Mayor Durano said P7 million has been allocated for Phase 1 of the museum’s construction.
New market
In the evening of June 2, 2022, a massive fire hit the city’s old public market, leaving P52.2 million worth of damage. At least 100 stalls were razed.
The market has since been closed and vendors displaced by the incident were relocated.
“We shall not rest until the last pillar stands, until the roof is installed, and until everyone gets back on their feet. This is our promise to every single Danawanon. We shall dedicate our energy and time from groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting,” Mayor Durano said in a speech.
Vanessa Dosdos, treasurer of the Danao City Market Vendors Association, expressed gratitude to the City Government for the efforts to build a new public market.
The new market will be equipped with a rainwater catchment facility, a solar-power panel on its rooftop, natural lighting and ventilation system, greenery and a waste treatment facility.
First museum
Meanwhile, the museum will house artifacts, relics, heirlooms, and other items that showcase the city’s rich culture and heritage.
Mayor Durano stressed the importance of a museum in educating the young on the value of knowing history and how it shaped the present that will be used to pave the future.
The museum will also function as a public library with enough space for additional cultural and creative workshop activities such as painting and pottery-making, said the mayor.
It will also house the Danao City Tourism Office.
Its location in Barangay Poblacion has a long history of its own as this was where the Spanish Municipal Site was built in the 1860s and later on, the Danao Provincial High School and then the Danao City Police Station which was totally damaged during a fire in January 2015.
Core values
Danao City officials also inaugurated on Wednesday the newly renovated Sidlak Danao Park and unveiled the city’s “core values” summarized in the city’s slogan, Sidlak Danao, which stands for (S) servant leadership, (I) inclusivity, (D) developmental, (L) livability, (A) adaptability, (K) knowledge, (D) dynamic, (A) accountability, (N) nurturing, (A) action, and (O) order.
The open park underwent renovation after it was damaged by supertyphoon Odette (Rai) in December 2021.
The City Government spent around P925,000 for the renovation of the Sidlak Danao signage and the open park.
Mayor Durano said the core values, formalized through an ordinance passed by the City Council, reinforce their commitment to foster a values-driven and dynamic community.