By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved a P150 million financial assistance for Bacolod City which would be used for the improvement and rehabilitation of the city’s three major public markets.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in a statement that the assistance is by far the biggest single Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) the city has ever received.

He said the amount will be equally allocated with P50 million for the Libertad Market, P50 million for Central Market, and another P50 million for the Burgos Market.

The city mayor further revealed that they already had meetings with officers of the market vendors associations and the City Engineer’s Office has also consulted them during the process of preparing the Program of Works for the project.

“This P150 million assistance will be a substantial investment in our three major markets to counter the unprecedented devastating health and economic consequences or impact of COVID-19,” Leonardia said.

He further added the primary purposes of the projects, among others, are to meet sanitation standards, protect public health and restore economic prosperity.

“As part of our economic recovery program, this will give us a positive trajectory of our economic outlook,” he added./DGB, WDJ