Normal operations at Mandaue City market expected within a week

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Government has assured that within a week, vendors and consumers can expect operations at the City Public Market to return to normal.

The market sustained structural damage during the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30.

City Administrator Atty. Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on said ongoing work is being done along Gomez Street, where a portion of the canopy had collapsed. Meanwhile, on the Zamora Street side, beams have already been installed to support the slightly damaged section.

“We are happy to inform the public, labi na sad sa atoang mga manindahay ug mangomprahay sa Mandaue City, nga sugod na jud ug trabaho,” said Malig-on.

He added that a crane has been deployed at the site of the collapsed canopy to remove the damaged structure in phases.

According to Malig-on, engineers estimate that the work will take about a week to complete. He explained that the team prioritized shoring works on the Zamora Street side to ensure that when the canopy along Gomez Street is removed, the entire structure remains stable and does not collapse.

“Nahuman naman na sila sa side sa Zamora Street, maong diri nasad sila nagsugod ug chop-chop sa canopy, and that requires time sad,” he said.

Malig-on added that Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano has directed the team to complete the canopy removal within a week.

He clarified that the project comes at no cost to the City Government, as a private engineering firm volunteered to assist. However, discussions are ongoing regarding the proper process since the work is being carried out under emergency conditions.

For now, the Gomez Street side near the supermarket has been temporarily closed to the public due to the presence of heavy equipment.

“One week or a little more than one week, ma-normalize na na. In the sense nga pwede na sila mabalik ang mga vendors,” said Malig-on.

He added that discussions on the replacement or reconstruction of the canopy will follow once the city secures funding for the next phase, whether through retrofitting or a full rebuild. (CEBU NEWS)