‘Newly-roofed’ Jaro public market reopens

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By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Gone are the days when denizens flocking to the Jaro Big Market for market day would worry about rain or extreme heat, as the market’s new building, now fully roofed, had its soft opening to the public on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

The new two-story market building has a total of 547 kiosks, including 330 on the ground floor and 217 on the second floor, accommodating the existing 122 stallholders and 171 transient vendors.

The ground floor hosts the wet section, which comes with stainless steel furniture, an open atrium for programs and community events, loading and unloading bays for public utility jeepneys, public access ramps on the sides of the building, and a vehicular ramp leading to the second-floor parking area.

The dry section is located on the second floor, along with parking spaces for 68 cars, 62 motorcycles, and 10 public transport vehicles.

It also features balconies offering visitors and shoppers a view of the hustle and bustle of El 98 Street below.

The second floor is accessible via the main grand stairs with stainless steel railings.

While not yet available, an elevator will be installed to improve access for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and suppliers delivering goods.

Other new features include high ceilings, wide walkways for ease of movement, delivery bays, a service road, a sprinkler system, a generator set, a public announcement system, a rainwater harvesting facility, a septic vault, cistern tanks, individual grease traps for wet sections, provision for a sewage treatment plant, and closed-circuit television cameras.

The building’s exterior features a pitch-roof design inspired by Jaro’s heritage architecture.

During a short program after the market’s blessing, Local Economic Enterprise Office head Maricel Mabaquiao said the façade “draws inspiration from the timeless charm of Jaro’s heritage houses.”

“Its architectural design reflects the district’s rich history and cultural identity, blending classic elegance with modern functionality,” Mabaquiao said.

“Just like the ancestral homes that stand proudly in Jaro, this market serves as a reminder of our deep-rooted traditions as we move forward toward a brighter and more progressive future,” she added.

In her own message, Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu recalled how the old market, a one-story façade with an open area at the center, used to worry vendors and shoppers about the possibility of rain.

“It’s no longer like before, that when it rains, it pours, without a roof in the center. I can remember, because I buy goods here when I was running a business. I would buy at the banana area at the center, which had no roof. The vendors are just there, enduring the rain, getting wet,” she recalled.

The mayor also said transient vendors will be relocated to the gymnasium behind the new market building, and that all legitimate vendors will eventually return to the finished market.

Rental rates range from PHP 790 to PHP 1,021 per month, depending on the stall type and category.

While the market building has had its soft reopening, no specific details were provided on remaining construction, nor was a date given for full reopening.

This is the fourth public market to reopen after rehabilitation works began on all six city markets in 2022.

The Central and Terminal markets reopened at the end of October, followed by the Arevalo market on Dec. 5.

The La Paz market is scheduled for a soft reopening on Dec. 16.

It remains unclear when the Mandurriao market, first funded through the Department of Public Works and Highways, will reopen.