Pinakbet Town is ‘vegetable bowl of Pangasinan’

VILLASIS, Pangasinan – It was a dream come true.

This "Pinakbet Town" in this province could rightfully hold its crown as the Vegetable Bowl of Pangasinan as it opened recently its spacious and modern Bagsakan Market for various types of vegetables produced here and in adjacent towns and cities as well as in neighboring provinces.

Known for producing quality Ilocanos’ "pinakbet" vegetables like tomatoes, ampalaya, eggplant, okra, among others, its 16 out of 21 barangays engaged into farming are expected to boost their livelihood opportunity through this facility, according to Mayor Nonato Abrenica.

Abrenica said that 75 to 80 percent of their population is engaged in farming.

He said building the Bagsakan Market was a dream fulfilled because this town was formerly known as the Vegetable Town of Pangasinan for producing vegetable of the highest quality. With the building already inaugurated, Abrenica expects a tremendous increase in their income from Bagsakan fees.

The mayor said they expect to collect about P300,000 or about P3.6 million a year. This will be a big boost to further undertake more projects for our town, Abrenica said.

Abrenica told The STAR that even vegetable traders from as far as La Trinidad, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Ecija have reserved their stalls here.

Offering a competitive price of about P66 per day per stall, Abrenica said this is the best place for trading farm produce aside from being located strategically along the McArthur highway here and accessible for commuters going to and from Baguio City and in Northern Luzon areas.

Aside from pinakbet vegetables, spices and Baguio vegetables will be sold in the market, Abrenica said. There’s also a section for rice and grocery items.

The imposing and eye-catching structure has a floor area of 5,000 square meters.

Abrenica said he has been encouraging farmers here to be "good farmers and good businessmen as well" by planting their vegetables at the right time year round.

He said he observed that sometimes, farmers plant simultaneously tomatoes so the market becomes flooded with tomatoes resulting in the low price of these goods.

He added that he is encouraging the farmers in some barangays to plant one or two kinds of vegetables and the same thing will be done in other barangays so that they could sell their produce at better price.

The construction of the Bagsakan market was financed by a P15-million unused balance from a P40 million loan earlier availed by the municipal government for the construction of their public market. Another P5 million came from Pangasinan fifth district Rep. Mark Cojuangco and the rest from whatever goodwill money raised from this project.

To make a big bang on this project, the municipal government is now preparing for the grand event for this project’s grand inauguration during its town fiesta celebration on Jan. 10 to 18, 2006.

To coincide with the grand homecoming of balikbayans, the town leaders are preparing exciting events like the search for pinakamalaki, pinakamahabang talong (biggest and longest eggplant) as well as an eat-all-you-can in the longest talong grill.