The city government of Iloilo expanded public literacy access on Friday by opening its first market-based reading hub, “Library sa Merkado,” on the second floor of the Iloilo Central Market’s dry goods area.
Operating initially from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with potential weekend hours under consideration, the facility targets young visitors accompanying their parents to the market.
Mayor Raisa Treñas, who led the opening alongside a storytelling session for daycare pupils, noted the initiative’s goal of fostering early reading habits to strengthen comprehension skills.
“We want to start them young and help them discover that reading can be fun. If they start at an early age, they would enjoy learning and would not have problems with reading comprehension,” Treñas stated.
Treñas expressed hope to replicate the model across other public markets in the city. City official Maria Mathilde Treñas highlighted that the hub serves vendors, shoppers, and youth alike.
“By bringing books and learning spaces right here in the market, you are saying that education should be accessible wherever our people are,” she remarked.
Donated by the Zonta Club of Iloilo City Inc. and built with assistance from the Technical Institute of Iloilo City, the project adds to Iloilo City’s growing network of two district libraries, eight barangay reading centers, and four plaza libraries.