San Quintin bagsakan center opens Tuesdays, Thursdays

by Maritess Beñas

San Quintin, Abra (16 August) — The local officials headed by Mayor Amador B. Diaz have designated Tuesdays and Thursdays as the regular market days of the town particularly for the operation of the Bagsakan Center located at the LGU Annex Building in Brgy. Villa Mercedes along the Abra-Ilocos Sur national high way.

The Bagsakan Center in San Quintin, the first to be established in the Cordilleras by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the local government unit (LGU) and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG), was inaugurated earlier last month.

During its first operation last August 11, the Bagsakan Center had a good start with traders coming from various municipalities in the province and even the neighboring provinces of Ilocos Sur and Benguet that filled all the stalls available.

Though there were items like clothing and other dries goods, most of the commodities sold in the Bagsakan Center are farm produce like fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, pork and beef from the farmers and fisherfolk of the locality as the Bagsakan Center was built primarily for them.

In a report from the office of the municipal agriculturist headed by Mr. Arnildo Timbreza, the Bagsakan Center is able to accommodate the farmers and fisherfolks of the locality who go and market their local produce there. Now, the people in San Quintin and nearby towns are happy because they need not go to Bangued or Narvacan in Ilocos Sur to buy their needs as they now have a ready access to all the things that they need in their daily chores.

The traders as well are benefited because they have a nice place to do their business because the LGU of San Quintin is a very business-friendly host for their marketing activities. Aside from the low charges they levy on the traders, the Bagsakan Center is equipped with the necessary facilities for business. Because of these, the prices of the commodities sold here are very reasonable.

The Bagsakan Center is just one of the support facilities provided by the national government through the DA which is intended to help the farmers generate livelihood by giving them post-harvest and marketing facilities where they could market their produce and encourage them to produce surpluses instead of merely producing for their subsistence. (PIA-Abra)