General Santos City. Map courtesy of Google
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 07 September) – A fire hit a portion of the city central public market in Barangay Dadiangas South on Friday night but no casualties were reported and the assessed damage was only minimal.
Responding firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) managed to extinguish the fire, which reportedly started at 8:47 p.m. from a stall in the public market’s Phase B, before it could spread to the main portion of the market building.
City administrator Franklin Gacal Jr., who rushed to the scene, said at least five stalls along a row of stores selling cellphones and accessories were affected by the incident.
“We’re thankful that it was not big and the damage was not that huge also,” he told reporters.
Gacal said they are still waiting for the final results of the BFP investigation as to the possible cause of the fire.
But among those reportedly being considered by authorities were unattended and plugged gadgets within the affected s
talls.
“We’re requesting the stall owners to please be careful with your electricity (connections). Make sure that everything is safe before leaving your stalls,” Gacal said.
He said the City Social Welfare and Development Office will conduct an assessment and profiling of the affected stall owners for possible assistance from the city government.
Eliseo Rock Garay, Barangay Dadiangas South chairman, said his office will also provide the necessary assistance to the affected traders, whom he described as part of the market’s “green table” comprising mostly of Meranaw vendors.
He said the incident was the first that happened at the city central public market
in years. The public market was gutted down by at least two major fires in the 70s and was rebuilt in the succeeding decades.
Robinsons Land Corporation has proposed a P2.33-billion redevelopment of the city central public market through Public-Private Partnership scheme.
The project involves its development into a modern structure dubbed “General Santos Town Center,” a 4-storey building composed of a public market, commercial/retail space, and roof deck parking. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
