DUMARAO
I
n Dumarao, the local public market experienced significant
damage
during
the
onslaught
of
Yolanda. Yet it provided the community with a unique opportunity to improve that which had been destroyed, and make it more resilient. “Even before Yolanda, the market area was not that busy,” Marlyn D. Camesa, a local vendor, explained. “We only have a few market goers. Our primary customers were passengers who would stopover or drop off at the transport terminal, beside the market.” As
post-Yolanda
repairs
began,
additional
improvements were made to help ensure that the market would better serve both vendors and clients. “We now have two market buildings: this means that more people are coming in the market,” says Marlyn. “It is a big deal for us. When our sales improve, it is a good indication that the marketplace and community are recovering,” she adds. Since its repair, the market now operates twice a week: Mondays and Fridays. In the past, it had functioned only once each week. To protect against future calamities, the market’s structure has also been reinforced to ensure that these achievements remain. For Municipal Mayor Leslie Warren Benjamin, the improvements are also striking. “We are happy that our proposal for the rehabilitation of the public market was granted,” he says.
(Top to bottom) Local vendor Marlyn D. Camesa, Dumarao Mayor Leslie Warren Benjamin, The newly-rehabilitated Dumarao Public Market 134