BAUKO, Mountain Province – Mayor Abraham B. Akilit is eying the establishment of a vegetable trading post in nearby Tagudin, Ilocos Sur which will be operated by the municipal government in order to contribute in the decongestion of the La Trinidad-based vegetable trading facility and open bigger market opportunities for highland vegetables coming from northern Benguet and Mountain Province.
Akilit said the municipal government intends to purchase a 1-hectare land and intends to partner with the Tagudin municipal government for the realization of the vegetable trading post that will accommodate both highland and lowland vegetables for the benefit of farmers who are seeking other potential markets to increase the marketability of their produce in the future.
“We want to utilize the proposed trading facility as the local government’s economic enterprise in order to increase the access of our vegetable farmers to potential markets in the Ilocos region and Metro Manila.” Mayor Akilit stressed.
He explained the investment of the municipal government for the purchase of the needed property or the put up of the trading facility could be easily recovered primarily through the rentals and that the operation of the facility will be a major source of income that will translate to the generation of internally generated funds that could be used to finance the implementation of development projects and enhance the delivery of basic services to the local residents.
The local chief executive already made the proposal to the municipal council for the approval of the venture that will translate to the significant increase in internally generated funds that could be plowed back to the people through other forms in the future.
According to him, the completion of the Aluling bridge in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur and the near completion of the concreting of the Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur road has reduced the travel time from the locality to Tagudin, Ilocos Sur to only over two hours which could be a better alternative compared to bringing their produce to the La Trinidad which is t least four hours travel to and from the locality.
According to him, the proposed establishment of a trading post in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur will not be competing with the La Trinidad vegetable trading post considering that it would serve as an alterntative trading post for farmers coming from northern Benguet and Mountain Province plus the fact that it will also contribute in decongesting the la Trinidad-based facility.
He is optimistic that the municipality’s economic enterprise project could be realized the soonest in order to allow the local government to internally generated funds which could be plowed back to their constituents through the implementation of various development projects and improve the delivery of basic services in the future.
Akilit explained the operation of the vegetable trading facility is a form of assistance to the farmers because it will give them the opportunity to have a vegetable trading facility nearer to their farms with the same number of buyers from the Ilocos region and different parts of Northern and Central Luzon as well as those from Metro Manila.
The municipal mayor underscored his plans of increasing the internally generated funds of the local government through long-term investments will be for the overall benefit of the local residents who will be benefitting from the projects to be derived from the income to be earned by the different economic enterprises. By Dexter A. See
