DAVAO CITY – For Davao City market vendors, reliable access to clean water has become an essential part of running a successful business, helping improve food safety, preserve product quality, and support daily operations.
At the Panacan Public Market, market vendor Doris Arones has experienced firsthand how having a reliable water connection can make a difference in her daily livelihood.
“Sauna nga wala pay water connection, balde balde ra gyud mi ug mag kabo sa silingan nga connected sa water district (Before, we didn’t have our own water connection. We had to fetch water in buckets from neighboring stalls that already had service),” Arones shared.
The Panacan Public Market serves hundreds of vendors selling fresh seafood, meat, vegetables, and other daily essentials. For vendors handling fresh and perishable products, access to clean and reliable water is essential to maintaining product quality, sanitation, and customer confidence.
Reliable water services help vendors lower their expenses. Having water readily available saves time and effort because vendors do not have to fetch water or depend on nearby vendors. For businesses with limited income, these savings can make work easier and help increase earnings.
Strengthening Davao’s Public Markets Through Its Water Supply
Helping strengthen Davao City’s water system and the city’s public markets is the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP), a public-private partnership between the Davao City Water District (DCWD) and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc.
Through the project, Apo Agua develops and operates the bulk water facility that treats surface water sourced from the Tamugan River and supplies up to 300 million liters of treated water per day to DCWD.
This additional supply supports the city’s growing water requirements and helps strengthen the reliability of water services for households, businesses, and institutions, including public markets that depend on a consistent supply of clean water for their daily operations.
“Pero ang tubig karon, tin-aw na (The water is now clear and clean),” Arones said of today’s water supply.
Reliable water access allows public market vendors to clean fish more thoroughly, make ice essential for food preservation, wash equipment, and maintain cleaner stalls throughout the day.
Reliable water services preserves fresh seafood, prevents spoilage
For seafood vendors, access to reliable water is critical to preserving freshness of the seafood – supporting proper handling, and reducing potential wastage.
Freshly caught fish require immediate washing and proper icing to maintain quality. Without sufficient clean water, fish spoil more quickly, affecting both product quality and customer satisfaction.
“Sa isda, sa pag ice, paglimpyo, tanan. Gamit gyud siya tanan. Kay kung walay tubig pareha sauna nga magkabo ra mi, tipiron namo ang tubig kay para magamit pa ang tubig, ang tubig nga gilimpyohan sa isda, tipiron pa namo para mao na pud gamiton sa pag banwas sayangan ka, karon bahala mag awas awas ang tubig at least naa ra siya tapad sa amoa nga stall (We use the water for everything—for cleaning fish, making ice, and washing our stalls. Now we no longer have to conserve every drop or reuse the same water we already used for washing fish),” Arones explained.
For vendors, the benefits can also translate into savings and improved profitability. Reliable water helps reduce the need to spend time and resources sourcing water. By minimizing these avoidable costs, vendors can operate more efficiently and protect more of their earnings.
Further, the importance of reliable water access in public markets is also recognized under the Department of Health’s Implementing Rules and Regulations for Markets and Abattoirs under the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, which require markets to have a sufficient supply of potable water, piped water facilities for fish and meat stalls, and adequate water outlets for cleaning to help ensure sanitation, food safety, and proper handling of fresh products.
As more vendors secure their own water connections, Panacan Public Market is moving from communal water access toward a system where each vendor has an individual connection and reliable water service, improving hygiene while supporting more sustainable livelihoods.
Through continued investments in reliable water services, Davao City is helping strengthen local enterprises, improve sanitation and food safety, and create better working conditions for market vendors who serve communities every day.
