NEW MALIMGAS MARKET INITIATIVE

But Madavfe members want it until March

THE proposed plan of the Dagupan City government to grant 50 percent discount to occupants of the second floor of the Malimgas Public Market for the duration of the Christmas season may just remain a plan after all if the city council decides to give weight to the city hall’s views.

This scenario arose after City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara, expressed her objection saying the 50 percent discount to be granted to stallholders will badly hurt the finances of the city.

Meanwhile, members of the Malimgas Dagupan Vendors Federation trooped to SP session hall last Monday to urge the city council to immediately approve the 50 percent discount to avert a total exodus of stallholders from the second floor of the market.

Alcantara’s view was solicited by the city council on the proposal to grant 50 percent discount to stallholders of the now almost empty second floor of the public market for the last quarter of the year.

Taking a different view, she said that even if the offer is good only for the last quarter of the year from October to December, the move could result in serious “economic dislocation” for the city.

Vice Mayor and SP presiding officer Alvin Fernandez in a forum organized by the Pangasinan Tri-Media Association, had said the plan could be the best alternative to save the market from bankruptcy.

The vice mayor said the plan is to entice the new applicants as well as the old stall holders that had left to return to the market’s second floor even just for the season.

In the past, stallholders had complained that despite efforts to sell their goods at cheaper prices, patronage remained weak.

The PUNCH learned stall occupancy in the market’s second floor today is 33 percent. Most of the original stallholders have already surrendered their stalls to the city government.

Julie Perez, MADAVFE president, said present stallholders at the second floor of the market have also asked that they be covered by the discount and the offer be extended until March next year.

The MADAVFE had endorsed the construction of the air-conditioned public market but most of its members have now abandoned their stalls owing to poor patronage.

Alcantara warned that the discount scheme will surely affect the capacity of the city government to pay its yearly amortization of the loan it obtained from the Land Bank of the Philippines in the amount of P315 million.

The city presently has a debt service amounting to P46 million every year.

According to Alcantara, the city has targeted P35 million in revenue collections from the Malimgas market and admitted that the goal cannot be met on account of poor revenue collection particularly from the public market.

Alcantara’s concern was echoed by Napoleon Nazareno, Malimgas Market Administrator, who suggested to the city council to come up with a discount scheme that will not only benefit stallholders but help improve the city’s revenue collection.

He warned that the discount scheme will further water down collections since existing stallholders will also demand to be covered by the discount plan.

Councilor Farah Marie Decano asked Nazareno and the MADAVFE to submit their own study and recommendations in lieu of the proposed discount scheme.

Nazareno promised to submit his proposal last Thursday but nothing has been submitted at press time. – AQL

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