President Benigno Aquino expressed confidence Calapan City’s “healthy economy” will continue to be robust as he commended the determination of local officials in the pursuit of progress.

Aquino, who led the inauguration of Calapan’s new public market Wednesday, said he was optimistic many tourists would visit Calapan for its beauty and luscious fruits.

“Sa bagong public market na ito, nagtitiwala akong uunlad pa ang malusog nang ekonomiya ng Oriental Mindoro,” he said. “Marami pa ang turistang dadayo sa inyong magandang bayan na labis ang pagkatakam sa inyong masasarap na prutas.”

In his message, Aquino said the P200-million state-of-the-art public market is a testimony to the diligence and resiliency of Mindoreños, which he said could be replicated nationwide.

“Tunay na sagisag ang gusaling ito sa kasipagan at katatagan ng mga Mindoreños. Ilang beses man tinupok ng apoy ang inyong naipatayong pamilihan, hindi kayo nagpatinag. Bumangon kayo at muling nagsumikap,” the President said.

The two-storey edifice was built after the old single-story market was gutted by fire for the third time in May 2008. Its construction began in July, 2009.

The almost 9,000 square meter building, funded by the Land Bank of the Philippines in coordination with the local government of Oriental Mindoro, boasts of modern design and amenities unheard of in the region and even in the entire country, said Malacañang.

Benefiting almost a thousand market vendors, the new center of trade is equipped with escalators and elevators complementing a bustling and robust local economy of the city.

Calapan City is the regional government center of Mimaropa.