Bus terminal projected as Ipil’s newest commercial landmark  

Rising to the challenge of its emerging role as hub for commercial flow and human traffic for the Zamboanga Peninsula, the municipal town of Ipil is set to construct an integrated bus terminal that will serve both as a refreshing stop and a local shopping experience for travelers.   

Located in Barangay Taway, 400 meters away from the national Dipolog-Ipil national highway, the new terminal has a total land area of eight hectares lying on flat terrain.  Attached to the terminal is a subdivision that would be developed into a residential and commercial complex.

 It is an ideal site –  still verdant and fanned by breezes from nearby hills; not too far from bustling Barangay Poblacion but not too near it, either.  

Solution

The planned bus terminal will immediately solve three major problems, says planning officer Nimfa Diputado.  First, it will provide Ipil with a permanent bus terminal.  Previously, big buses parked right along the Zamboanga-Pagadian national highway, making it both a traffic nightmare and a security risk.  And as if to underscore the lack of a terminal, the same big buses are now temporarily moved to Barangay Poblacion’s barbecue center to make way for the concreting of the national highway.

 Second, a bus terminal in Barangay Taway will decongest traffic in Poblacion, a location already burgeoning with business establishments, and at the same time spread the development towards a greater area. 

Third, it will provide housing for the continuing influx of migrants.  So far, more than 300 individuals have signified their interest in purchasing the 150-meter lots available and turning it into a new community. 

Return of Investment

After studying the town’s borrowing and paying capacity, the Landbank of the Philippines has approved the financing of the project with a 17 million peso loan against Ipil’s internal revenue allotment.  The amount is earmarked for the physical construction of the terminal.  

The LGU will pay for the additional 13 million pesos for the purchase of the eight hectare lot on which the terminal will be situated. 

Diputado bares that the project will have a return of investment in three year’s time after first operation.  The sale of lots within the attached subdivision will rake in money right from the start.  The town will also earn long term from the operation of the terminal and the rental of stalls within, she said.  

Diputado also downplays the fears of some sector as the loan might prove too heavy for the town’s finances.  The loan will be paid back in monthly amortizations for 10 years.  Within that timeframe, Diputado is confident that the bus terminal will earn sufficiently to keep up with payment schedule. 

Approved by the previous Sangguniang Bayan mid 2004, the bus terminal will have a construction period of just one year.  After that, the planning office says, this latest economic enterprise will begin reaping benefits for the town, in keeping with its vision of transforming itself into a premier market and trade center in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

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