Eddiegul upbeat on Tabunok’s economy

CEBU, Philippines - “I’ll bet my neck, Tabunok will boom. It will flourish,” First district Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas said. 

Gullas doesn’t fault the current Talisay City government for building a new public market in barangay Lagtang and closing down the old market in barangay Tabunok.

Gullas, who will run for the mayoralty post in the city in the May elections, expects his opponents to make an issue of the transfer of the Tabunok public market to its new site in Lagtang during the campaign period. 

Critics have claimed that they consider the Lagtang public market, which stands near the Mananga riverbank, as prone to flooding while the old Tabunok market is safe from robbers.

The vendors also said the Tabunok public market has been their source of income for more than a century and has provided them a decent livelihood and self-employment and a good source of local taxes.

“Transferring the market to Lagtang creates another economic area. Wherever there is a market, the economy will surely flourish,” Gullas said.

He said the Tabunok area will continue to flourish because investors have expressed interest in developing the old public market building. 

Gullas said he was also criticized when the proposal to transfer the old city hall from Poblacion to Lawaan. “Unya unsa man ang nahitabo karon sa Poblacion? There is the Talisay City College. Namatay ba ang panginabuhi-an sa Poblacion?” Gullas said. 

The owners of Gaisano Metro, Rustan’s, and Prince Warehouse are among those who have expressed interest in the old Tabunok market.

The city government plans to lease out the old market lot to the highest bidder.

The winning investor gets to develop the property and lease it for 20 to 25 years.

When the lease expires, investments made by the bidder will be turned over to the city government.

The winning bidder may develop the property for commercial use, provided it will not compete or sell anything that is sold at the public market in barangay Lagtang.  (FREEMAN)