Playground to rise at fish market site

CEBU, Philippines - The first phase of the Pasil Fish Market’s conversion in Cebu City into a children’s playground will officially start. Mayor Michael Rama yesterday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the total renovation of the fish market, which was severely damaged by last year’s 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The project will be undertaken through a private-public partnership between the Cebu City government and the construction agency of Engineer Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez of the City’s Planning and Development Office. Rama said the project will be at no cost to the city, but that should Enriquez and her husband, who is a contractor, need to help, they would have available resources at their disposal to finish the playground before his birthday on October 28. Raquel Arce, city Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement team chief, said fish and food vendors who used to occupy the market will not be displaced. “Gipahiluna na sila daan. Ang mga wholesaler nga fish vendors, tua na sila sa fish port while ang mga retailers naa sa luyo sa market (Wholesalers are placed at the fish port while retailers are at the back of the fish port),” she said. From Pasil, Rama proceeded to Taboan Public Market yesterday to visit the vendors and then to the Freedom Park area of Carbon Public Market to lead the opening of two market vendors’ cooperatives. Rama said that just like the nearby Warwick Barracks, he also aims to convert Freedom Park into a tourist attraction by introducing some changes. “It can never become a customer attraction if you will bring in constrictions. You must put space, you have to have accessibility…mobility,” he said. The mayor said he wants the area to be easily accessible during emergencies like fire. He said he does not want what happened to Warwick Barracks last January to happen again, when fire claimed the life of a person. He said the price in providing better ingress and egress to the place is for people to sacrifice a little in having their space reduced. “Kung way maninguha, way makuha,” Rama said, in explaining the need to improve Freedom Park, which is part of Rama’s revitalization project for Colon Street. (FREEMAN)