LITOGON, Benguet – The municipal government is currently awaiting the deed of donation to be executed by the administration and management of a mining company that already ceased operations covering some portions of its properties which will be used for the put up of a municipal public market to help in enhancing the economic activities of the people.
Mayor Bernard S. Waclin said that the lot to be donated to the municipal government is more or less 2,000 square meters from the existing landholdings of the mining company.
“We are simply awaiting the deed of donation from the family of the majority shareholders of the mining company. We hope that we can get the deed of donation the soonest so that we can plan our next move on how to pursue the put up of the public market structure in the area,” Mayor Waclin stressed.
One of the major thrusts of the present administration is to facilitate the construction of the public market which will be instrumental in spurring economic activities and sources of livelihood of the people that will pave the way for the town’s growth and development.
Further, the operation of the town’s public market will also provide additional sources of income to the municipal government that will improve the municipality’s status in terms of competitiveness, among others.
Earlier, the municipal government successfully put up the 12-bed dialysis center, one of the desired targets of Mayor Waclin after taking over the leadership of the municipality on July 1, 2022 , which was achieved more than a year after it was planned.
“Itogon has to have its own market to serve as a venue for our people to market their products. We will aggressively work on it after we will receive the deed of donation for the lot being eyed for the said purpose,” he added.
Concerned barangay officials and residents welcomed the desire of the town’s leadership to put up its own market facility that will help increase economic activities among the residents and serve as a show window of the locality.
The mayor assured that the municipal government will work out the required funds needed for the put up of the market structure once the lot donation is finalized so that it will be easier for the municipal officials to access support from concerned government agencies and probably the private sector for the immediate realization of the noble project.
Itogon is a first class town that heavily relies on large-scale mining companies and hydroelectric power plants as the major source of its internally generated funds. It has a land area of more or less 60,000 hectares but around 80 percent of which is covered by forest and watershed reservations and patented mining claims.
Moreover, Itogon is situated on the eastern part of Baguio City with the municipal hall situated at barangay Poblacion or around an hour drive from the city proper. By Dexter A. see