FVR Tells Ming: Thinks Big, Don’t Settle for Tupig!

 AS THE MAYOR GEARS FOR THE P200-M NEW MARKET

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANAOAG, Pangasinan – The looming construction of the more than two hundred million pesos modern public market here was partly influenced by the late Philippines President Fidel V. Ramos to the mayor here to think big and not settle for tupig.

Tupig is a Filipino rice cake this pilgrims’ town popularly produces. It is made from ground slightly-fermented soaked glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk, muscovado sugar and young coconut strips.

THINK BIG. Pesident Fidel V. Ramos exhorts Manaoag Mayor Jeremy "Ming" Rosario.

“O Manaoag BM (Board Member) Rosario thinks bigger! Don’t be contented with tupig! Don’t be contented with malagkit! Manaoag has a lot of potential. Think bigger your town has very big potential for trade,” Mayor Jeremy “Ming” A. Rosario cited to Northern Watch Newspaper what the Pangasinan born former president told him in a social function.

Because of his intention to snarl the big chunk of the money spends by the 56, 000 pilgrims that come here every week – the biggest tourists number in Region-1 - in the markets of the neighboring Pozorrubio and Binalonan towns after they visit every week the The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag here, the Rosario Administration intention to borrow the needed fund for the two market buildings in a hectare of land in the present public market has already been approved by the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“Wala pa iyong exact amont na talagang kukunin sa Land Bank. Hindi iyan ang elu-loan na parang facility lang iyan naka reserved diyan kung kailanganin. Land Bank is very strict hindi ibig sabihin pag P200 million ibibigay kay Mayor,” he explained the nuances how the approved P305 million allowable loan this small but first class town can contract with the LBP.

With a modern market that sells what the pilgrims needed, Rosario – a surgeon – wanted to attract even 60 to 70 percent of them to purchase their needs here before they go back to their respective homes in various parts of the country.

Rosario deplored that the old market was out of date and becomes a money pit since even half of its revenues through rentals could not even recouped the yearly spending from the public coffer.

“Nakita natin we have the worse if not the worst market place in the whole of Pangasinan. Lahat nag iimprove lahat umuutang para po maimprove pero ito po’y utang na nakikita na kayang bayaran na kikitain ng palengke,” he explained.

Thus Rosario wants to see that every stall should be installed with sub meters for power and water so his administration will be spared on paying those expenses.

“Dapat palengke self-generating. Would you believe my mga rentals diyan stalls na P360 per week per month”.