The Bright Prospect and Development of Shopping Malls and Supermarkets

In Tacurong City

By Mark Abeto Dionesio

The City of Tacurong is is located at the center of SOCCSKSARGEN. It is 92 kilometres (57 mi) from General Santos City, 96 kilometres (60 mi) from Cotabato City and 178 kilometres (111 mi) from Davao City. It is situated at the crossroads of the Davao-General Santos-Cotabato highways, and is the financial, commercial, education, and recreation center of the area. It serves the needs of 15 neighboring municipalities. People from these areas go to Tacurong to sell their products, purchase their needs, pursue education, avail of medical and health services, and seek recreation. As an important hub of the Mindanao transport grid, Tacurong is visited by numerous passengers and transients on their way to the cities of Davao, Cotabato, General Santos and even Cagayan de Oro.

It is the catch basin of economic development in the province of Sultan Kudarat, aside from being the center of commerce with a captured market from other municipalities of the province including the provinces of South Cotabato and Maguindanao. In the newly legislated Comprehensive Land Use Plan, there is a need for more viable business areas, and a more business-friendly and streamlined processing of permits and licenses to make the city more favorable to the investing party. The absence of big shopping malls and supermarkets in the City of Tacurong have many residents to go to the shopping malls of Koronadal and General Santos cities even with all the inconveniences attendant to it.

Investing in the establishment of shopping malls and supermarkets in this city will assure a profitable return of investment (ROI) and huge economic payback. The potential market demand for shopping malls is big, based on the growing population of the city which was pegged at 101, 081 residents as of 2015. The city being strategically located at the center or at the crossroads of neighboring municipalities in the western part of Sultan Kudarat and the nearby province of Maguindanao, the demand for the aforementioned facilities is invariably much higher.

A big fraction of the populations of the neighboring municipalities that would cater to the shopping malls and supermarkets, such as, Isulan (90,682), Bagumbayan (63,700), Esperanza (63,207), Sen. Ninoy Aquino (43,508), Norala (44,635), Tantangan (40,461), Lambayong(77,013), President Quirino(41,408), Buluan, Maguindanao(50,088), Datu Paglas,Maguindanao (28,387), Tulunan, North Cotabato (56,513) and Mlang, North Cotabato (95,070) could add up to the fast growing of Tacurong's own population.

For the current year of 2017, it would be safe to assume that the combined population would be nearing half a million – a significant consumer base that will make the establishment of shopping malls and supermarkets in Tacurong an attractive investment. The southern towns of Maguindanao composed of Datu Sangki Ampatuan, Maganoy, and northeastern, such as, Buluan and Datu Paglas can also be a captured market for the said venture.

To date, Tacurong City boasts of the internationally-renown Monte Vicenteaux Resort located at Barangay New Passi, as well as, the equally-popular resorts in Barangays Baras and Buenaflor, such as, the Jarrell Resort and Bonbon Resort, respectively. Add to that the Baras Bird Sanctuary of the Malana family, and of course, the colorful, Kalimudan Festival of Isulan and the city’s own, the Talakudong Festival …and, what an investor gets is one whole interesting package!