Manaoag eyes new tact to solve traffic woes, boost economy
NEW MARKET, UPGRADED POLICE STATION
THE local government of Manaoag, headed by Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario, eyes to improve the town’s public market and to seek upgrading of the status of its police station, as the solution to the town’s dismal traffic woes.
Mayor Rosario, in a radio interview on Wednesday, January 4, admitted that the town’s public market needs a new, improved, and larger public market, to further complement the town’s booming tourism.
He added that an organized municipal public market, that will house the vendors in town, can drastically minimize traffic problems in town.
Rosario said from 50 to 55 thousand visitors flocking the town weekly, vendors and other entrepreneurs could potentially earn higher if the tourists could be enticed to visit the town’s public market.
Meanwhile, he appealed to the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) to raise the town’s category status to enable a more streamlined police force station as tourist influx in town increases.
When a town classified by the Philippine National Police as Category A, the rank of its chief of police will have to be a Lieutenant Colonel. Presently, as a Type B Municipal Police Station category, its police chief’s rank is Major.
Rosario argued that the upgrade of the town’s police category will bring more benefits on the tourists’ side as more policemen can be deployed to help maintain order in the streets, citing more hotels, condotels and other infrastructures being constructed including two memorial parks while a proposal to build a ‘Libingan ng mga Bayani’ in town is being considered.
Rosario added that even commercial stores and banks are showing their interest in investing in the town.
The town has been receiving proposals as well to build an underground parking lot to further decrease the traffic around the town proper.
Meanwhile, Rosario urged the residents of the town to be kind to tourists, to ensure their return.
Some residents, particularly with vacant lots near the town proper, have been abusing tourists by charging high parking fees, much to the tourists’ chagrin. (Ahikam Pasion)
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