PUERTO GALERA, Mindoro Oriental: Forty-five days after a fire gutted its public market in late November last year, this tourism destination town inaugurated its temporary market that would house the former occupants. Mayor Rocky Ilagan recently led the opening ceremony of the temporary facility, attended by stall owners from the destroyed market and municipal officials. The temporary market was built on a lot owned by the municipal government that was used as a terminal for public utility vehicles, plying the Puerto Galera-Calapan route. In his message during the ceremony, Ilagan said the temporary market is the local government unit’s response to a request of the stall owners of the old market to provide them a place where they can continue their business. Municipal engineer Geraldine Bacay said the temporary market has 38 stalls for vegetables, meat and fish. It also has 12 stalls for fast-food tenants. All stall owners from the destroyed market are listed for the temporary market, Bacay added. The project has a budget of P2.5 million, which was lent by the municipal government and would be paid from savings from the budget of the previous year. On the same day, Friday last week, Ilagan also inaugurated two road-concreting projects a 470-meter road in Barangay Balatero worth P4 million and a 360-meter road in Barangay Dulangan worth P3.5 million and a barangay (village) hall. The village hall is located in Barangay Dulangan. The mayor said the projects were made possible under the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Support Fund Assistance to Municipalities.
