Pinangunahan nina Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna at Vice Mayor Yul Servo ang groundbreaking ceremony para sa pagtatayo ng bago at modernong Pritil Public Market na ang layon ay hindi upang kumita kundi upang makapagbigay ng murang bilihin para sa mga residente ng Tondo, matapos na ito ay tupukin ng sunog noong Abril 2023, dahilan upang madiskaril ang mga manininda doon.
Ayon kay Lacuna, inaasahang matatapos ang pagpapatayo ng bagong palengke sa October 2026 at ito ay magkakaroon ng 388 dry stalls, 281 wet stalls, dry storage and ice storage, parking area, roof deck para sa 114 cars at 40 motorcycles, all-gender and PWD public toilets, male public toilets, PWD access ramps, sewage treatment plant at waste facility storage, gayundun ng underground cistern para sa pagpigil ng baha at mga tanggapan sa roof deck.
Napag-alaman na ang naturang public market ay itatayo sa 11,930 square meter floor area sa halagang P283.63 million at ang pondo para sa pagtatayo ng Phase I ng infrastructure project ay nagmula sa city’s special purpose appropriations para sa 2025 at walang inutang ang pamahalaang lungsod.
“Today marks the start of Phase 1. Even when the public market is only partially completed, we will strive to make it partially operational so that area residents need not travel far for their daily and weekly marketing. The sooner, the better but without compromising on quality and safety,” pahayag ni Lacuna.
Dagdag pa ng alkalde” “Funding for this project comes from our city’s budget for 2025, hindi galing sa utang. This is the result of our administration’s award-winning good financial housekeeping, which we earned for three straight years.”
Tiniyak ng alkalde na ang itatakdang occupancy rates para sa stalls at paggamit ng cold storage ay gagawing abot-kaya at rasonable nang sa gayon ay makapagtinda nang mura ang mga vendors doon.
“These usage fees are for the maintenance of the public market, not investment recovery. This public market is for public service, not profit-making. Most importantly, my administration will not sell the land on which the public market is being built. Site preparation started even before groundbreaking. Daig ng maagap ang masipag. Daig ng masinop ang utangero,” pahayag ni Lacuna.
