Eagerly awaiting deliberations of the recently wrapped-up Pamilihang Panlalawigan search by the evaluation team, Catigbian residents hope to finally bag the "best market award" this year.
Mayor Roberto Salinas however stressed that it is the unrelenting effort to dispense better service to the people that should an, but winning the provincial feat may come as a huge bonus.
Ranked only second to modern public market in Ubay in 2006, Catigbian pulled one ace off its sleeves when it edged the provincial winner in the regional competitions of that same year.
Bagging the region's 3rd best market after Bayawan City in Negros and Pardo in Cebu, Catigbian now hopes their public market can finally be recognized as Bohol's bes t, a huge feat for a public market that was constructed a few years after the war.
The provincial plum is a version of the Pambansang Pamilihan Search conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Bohol this year.
It is set to motivate public and private run markets to comply with trade rules including price tags, weights and measurements regulations and safety and quality standards, said DTI's Concordia Erano, in a phone interview recently.
This year, the Bohol search only includes 11 markets, DTI sources said.
Evaluated together with Catigbian in this year's search for Bohol's best public markets were Jagna, Guindulman, Ubay, Talibon, Carmen, Inabanga, Tubigon, Loon, Antequera and Tagbilaran City, Erano enumerated.
In Catigbian, market Administrator and assistant municipal treasurer Cresilda Rulida said the town has not ceased innovating its public market since they earned the regional award in 2006.
The administration under Mayor Roberto Salinas has put in the market a better drainage system and revamped the market's drainage culverts to assure the efficient and unimpeded flow of liquid wastes, further eliminating foul odor, Rulida shared.
The market gathered as much asP1.7M in revenues in 2006 and P1.4 M in 2007, despite the fact that the town livestock income was separately computed in 2007 following its independent operations, municipal records revealed.
In 2007, the town livestock center also netted about P.5M, Information officer Ardissa Estavilla said. (PIA/rachiu)