By Anthony A. Araos
Whether it’s a quite drive to Lagawe from Lamut, or a weekend trip to this capital town from Manila, everything will be within reach. Wedged between Kiangan and Hingyon towns, the predominantly farming of Lagawe just offered recently a “night market” attraction.
The first-ever “night market” event goes all out with fun-filled sidelights such as zumba workouts, band presentations and children’s playtime.
To recall, the 38-day activity at the main highway section in front of Lagawe, Central School, you’ll find stalls for dresses, accessories and food. I counted nearly 40 of them.
It abundantly featured sidelights to coincide with the merry-making spirit of the holiday season. In the absence of a mall here and elsewhere in Ifugao, not a few really enjoyed it.
And this certainly bodes well for reviving the tourism industry of Lagawe.
This commentary has been advanced to boost the town’s tourist receipts and open up income opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Sure, some folks here don’t get bothered with the dismal record of the tourism industry than others. And some other folks are legitimately affected by the town’s poor economy in so many ways. But as much as this may upset them, it ultimately changes nothing about the need to find relief to this situation.
There is no doubt that the tourist numbers are too low. So if you have a choice of drawing local and foreign visitors in Lagawe, you’ll likely accept my recommendation to transform the “night market” into a “tourist attraction”, and be comfortable that you made the “right” choice. You’ll be satisfied with your decision. It is perfectly the right direction.
Thank God, I saw a good picture how the “night market” operated, and I thought of sharing some more insights. For one, the municipal government must provide appropriate support through training programs that will help MSMEs adapt to new digital technologies and platforms, as relevant to their needs. Imagine the relief the entrepreneur will feel when he or she doesn’t have to worry about Gcash and the likes.
What else should be done and prioritized? There is a need to emphasize the importance of legal framework to institutionalizing the “night market” activity. A genuine and well-attuned “Night Market” ordinance, which establishes its operations, and policy that will guide the allocation, utilization, management and development of resources is so vital.
I find it very difficult to see the rationale of exacting high fees for these business owners when the cost of living is so high. Barangay traffic personnel who have made significant conditions should be given recognition and financial performance incentives.
Children should not be allowed to play in the bingo games. Instilling the culture of gambling among the young is detestable, to say the least.
Hopefully, this action will improve cooperation between the public and private sector- – it’s a key to its success because you will not deal with its end result unilaterally. You need to do it together. The activity clearly needs multi-stakeholder support. Identifying areas for cooperation among the LGUs and MSMEs is crucial towards the realization of objectives.
Despite these challenges, it is still possible to find truthful answer to the query, How ready is Lagawe for a night market activity?
Congratulations to Mayor Bambi Nahayangan for providing a platform that fosters the people’s entrepreneurial spirit.
It’s much harder when Mayor Nahayangan says “No” to hold another “Night Market” activity and be more creative and innovative by tapping the expertise of those in the private sector thus, forge partnership with them to strengthen their economic well-being. To ensure prosperity for each resident, MSMEs have to be among the top priority of Mayor Nahayangan.**
