Rama to showcase Taboan

CEBU, Philippines - Following a personal inspection at the new Taboan Market, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday announced he wants the place, known for its dried fish, to be beautified and more accessible.

Rama instructed city administrator Atty. Jose Marie Poblete and city market administrator Raquel Arce to make sure that the improved market further be a source of pride for Cebuanos with local and foreign tourists trooping the place to try the famous dried fish.

“I want to showcase Taboan market to our visitors,” Rama said adding he wanted the city government to come up with a landscape plan aimed at enhancing the facade of the market making it more inviting to tourists.

The offices of the city administrator, city market administration, and engineering will meet today to discuss and develop the landscape plan.

The P25million Taboan market rehabilitation project was inaugurated shortly before this year’s elections with illegal structures removed providing more parking space.

Arce said the parking area, located at the entrance of the market, will not be fenced but is set to have barriers to distinguish it from the side walk and main road.

She stressed that with the new market, vendors are strictly prohibited from altering the stall structures.

“Katong vendors nga daghan ang stall units, dili na pwede nga bungkagon ang stalls unya i-merge. Dapat ang stall as is ang structure. (Vendors who have many stall units are not allowed to merge their stalls),” Arce told reporters.

The new structure also saw the decrease in the number of vendors inside the market from 160 to over 120.

“Tungod ni sa uban stall owners nga wala’y permit. Ato sad ni gi-strikto nga bisan pa ug more than one ang units sa usa ka vendor, dili mahimong gub-on ang individual stalls aron tapuon. Dapat as is ang gidak-on sa matag stall. (This is because some stall owners have no permits. We are strictly enforcing that they do not alter the sizes of the stalls),” the market administrator explained.

Taboan market is a Cebuano landmark located along Tres de Abril Street, barangay San Nicolas known to tourists as the place to buy dried fish, one of Cebu’s delicacies.

Its fame paved the way for the creation of Kaplag Buwad Festival celebrated every April each year.— (FREEMAN)