ATOK, Benguet – The municipal government allowed the use of the first floor of the town’s market building that is currently being constructed as temporary parking for the vehicles of the patients of the Atok district hospital and visitors frequenting the municipality to help in providing available parking spaces for the increasing number of motorists.
Mayor Franklin Smith said that the first floor of the proposed market structure can accommodate more or less 20 vehicles that will definitely contribute in easing the burden of motorists in looking for available parking spaces around the municipality for them to cater to the needs of patients confined in the nearby hospital.
He added that the second floor of the building is currently being constructed to ensure the availability of more parking slots for motorists considering that the said portion can also accommodate more or less 20 vehicles once it will be opened for parking purposes.
“We continue to explore all available avenues to ensure that there will be adequate parking spaces for our residents and visitors. Parking is really one of our major concerns that is why we are closely working with some property owners to offer their spaces as parking areas for the increasing number of vehicles in our locality,” Mayor Smith stressed.
The local chief executive admitted that while owners of private tourist spots have provided parking spaces for their clients, the surge in the number of visitors frequenting the must-see tourist destinations has caused some concerns in the availability of parking spaces so that tourists will be able to enjoy their stay in the municipality.
Earlier, the municipal government planned the construction of a five-storey market building with initial funds coming from the internally generated sources where the first two floors will be used as parking spaces, the third and fourth floors will serve as the market areas that will be occupied by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) while the fifth floor will serve as a multipurpose center.
Aside from the local government, Smith claimed that Rep. Eric Yap also committed some P30 million to help raise the needed funds to complete the project with the hope that the lawmaker will infuse more funds to ensure the realization of the project the soonest for the benefit of the residents and visitors alike.
According to him, the new market structure will serve as the town’s show window as it display quality local products and souvenir items as tourism will surely contribute in significantly improving the economic activities and sources of livelihood of the residents.
Atok has become one of the preferred tourist destinations of both foreign and domestic tourists visiting the central Cordillera because of its cooler weather apart from the scenic agri-tourism and eco-tourism destinations that have been established and providing the needed boost to the emerging industry.
Mayor Smith hopes that the local government will be able to continue increasing the funds being generated from the collection of the environment fee from visitors as the local government was able to collect a hefty sum of P8.2 million from environment fees paid by tourists in the different destinations last year. By Dexter A. See
