Laoag City officials, led by City Treasurer Erlinda P. Ragasa had proposed a daily ‘open market’ in the city to further increase revenues from the Laoag City Commercial Complex (LCCC).

Ragasa made this proposal after she discovered that almost half of the LCCC third floor is unoccupied, to which The Ilocos Times learned that this was because of the high rental fees at the LCCC.

With a daily ‘open market’, the vacant stalls in the LCCC’s third floor portion would be occupied as this would be used for farmers’ produce.

‘Open market’ refers to days when farmers and traders from outside the city are allowed to sell in the Laoag City market.

Presently, the city maintains only a two-day ‘open market’ in a week scheduled every Sunday and Wednesday.

“Daytoy ket tapnon maikkan iti gundaway dagiti mannalon iti siyudad nga adda pangalaan da iti paginaldaw da no ditoyen iti pagibagsakan da dagiti produkto da (This is to give opportunities to the city’s farmers for daily revenues if they would be allowed to put their products here everyday), Ragasa said.

LCCC collection ticket-wise, according to Ragasa, would also increase automatically if the daily ‘open market’ proposal is approved.

Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Fariñas favored Ragasa’s proposal but said that the proposal needs the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and the market committee.

In view of this, Fariñas requested the fast tracking of the processing of the proposal as he pointed out that the additional revenues is badly needed by the city government in the face of the slashed city government budget, which was decreased by the city council by P10 million.

Other proposals for the unoccupied LCCC third floor stalls also include its conversion into an amusement center, and to decrease rental fees to attract traders.

In a related development, the LCCC’s cleanliness and orderliness was once again put into the limelight after several city visitors during the Holy Week complained of the bad odor coming from the market, especially on the Abadilla Street portion.

The said market area is being used as the drop-off point for the LCCC.

In a bid to correct the situation, Fariñas had earlier instructed the market committee to relocate the drop-off point to another area but there had been no further development on the said problem as of press time.

Dominic B. dela Cruz