BARILI Mayor Marlon Garcia is studying the development plan of their livestock market to see if it would be viable to proceed with the P20 million loan from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to modernize the facility.
The loan, passed and approved during the administration of mayor Teresito Mariñas, is intended to upgrade the oldest and biggest livestock market in Cebu, which sits on a seven-hectare property in Barangay Mantalongon, Barili.
Mariñas’s administration approved the loan but Garcia is putting on hold its implementation while he examines its viability.
The mayor is also planning to rehabilitate their town’s public market in his first six months in office.
Since he assumed office, Garcia has fulfilled some of his campaign promises, like free ambulance service, which cost P1,500 before his term.
He said the town also now provides P2,000 burial assistance and a sack of rice to the bereaved. In addition, Rep. Gwen Garcia (Cebu, third district) provides a coffin and funeral services worth P10,000 to the family.
He said Rep. Garcia, his sister, had 1,020 scholars in Barili last year.
Celebration
Barili is holding a week-long celebration of its town fiesta. Each night is assigned to a sector, such as the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), DepEd, and Cebu Technological University (CTU).
“Gihatagan nato og night (celebration) ang wala hatagi sa una, like market vendors and public high school students,” mayor said.
The opening of the 402nd Founding Anniversary of Sta. Ana Parish was last July 16 and its culminating will be on July 26, their fiesta celebration.
The mayor also allotted a night to farmers and cooperatives, calling it MCDC Night (Municipal Cooperative Development Council).
With its abundant water supply from Mantayupan Falls, Barili is an agricultural town and a tourist destination.
“The 100-hectare CTU has an agriculture course and I want to revive agriculture because it’s a dying course. Di na attractive sa mga students (No longer attractive to students),” he said.
Garcia said he wants to modernize their livestock market to make it efficient like those in Bohol and Batangas. He will also invite more commercial banks to open branches there to protect the money of livestock buyers and dealers.
Modern
Garcia said he will get rid of middlemen to reduce livestock prices and build modern and cheap livestock holding pens.
“I want Mantalongon to be friendly and safe,” Garcia said.
Banks operating in town are Rural Bank of Barili, Land Bank and Metro Bank.
He also promised to improve the small sea port in Sitio Estaca, Barangay Minolos.
He said pigs are made to swim from Negros while tied to pump boats and brought to the town on Wednesdays in preparation for Thursday’s market day in Mantalongon.
He said at least 20 huge trucks are waiting in Mantalongon to be filled with pigs, cows and goats during market days.
After the town fiesta, Garcia will concentrate in getting back management and supervision of Mantayupan falls.
MOA
He said the waterfalls is being managed by Campangga Alayon Multi-Purpose Cooperative through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Barangay Campangga where falls is located.
He said he finds it irregular since there is no municipal council resolution authorizing the transaction between the barangay and the cooperative.
He said once the town gets back the falls, it will generate employment and improvement through public-private-partnership or local funding.
Revenues derived from the waterfalls’ guests, which is at P20,000 to P30,000 a week, will go to the town coffers.