P11.7-M collection in Manila market fees

The city government of Manila posted another record collection in market fees amounting to P11.7 million, reflecting a P2.1 million increase over the same two-quarter period (January-June) last year, Mayor Lito Atienza said yesterday.

Market administrator Warren Codina attributed the increase to a more efficient and aggressive collection effort undertaken in 25 public markets and talipapas.

Codina recalled that this year’s collection surpassed last year’s market fees amounting to P9.6 million.

Codina also estimated that the increase represented about a 22 percent hike from last year’s revenue collection from the city’s various markets.

The market fees collection will help finance planned improvements of other public markets for the benefit and convenience of market goers.

Under Atienza’s Buhayin ang Maynila program, City Hall has redeveloped and improved facilities in most of the city-run markets including Sta. Ana Market, Trabajo Market in Sampaloc, Antipolo Market in Blumentritt, Pritil Market in Tondo and Dagonoy Market in San Andres, which has been hailed as a model by other cities and towns.

The redeveloped Dagonoy Market recently beat by a wide margin for top honors the Marikina Public Market in the search for the best public market conducted by the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards of the Department of Agriculture.