ILOILO CITY -- A comfort room inside a public market – the first of its kind in this metropolis – opened at the Iloilo Central Market on Wednesday.
Funded by the city government with more or less PHP1.5 million, the tiled comfort room offers separate provisions for males and females and is also accessible to Persons with Disability (PWDs).
Jose Ariel Castañeda, head of the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO), said the renovated comfort room will make it “convenient and comfortable” for the public frequenting the market.
With the renovation, the septic tank was expanded and a provision for water has been added. The female section has six cubicles and one for PWD while the male section has five urinals and four cubicles.
Castañeda said city hall employees assigned at the market have been tasked to monitor the proper use of the comfort room.
The public will not be charged but could extend a donation for the maintenance “until the (market) association is able to organize themselves and take part”, he said.
“We will also empower them,” added Castañeda.
In the meantime, Mayor Jose Espinosa III, who led the inauguration, said the Iloilo Central Market will serve as the model for the improvement of Iloilo City’s six other public markets.
Espinosa urged the cooperation of the public in taking care of the facility.
Meanwhile, Castañeda said that after the comfort room, they plan to clean up the meat and fish sections.
He said he initially spoke with the market vendors about the plan to install display and storage facilities to ensure that their products are sanitary and fresh. (PNA)
Photo by Perla Lena
