BY: PRIMEL JAN OMAOENG AND NICOLE ANNE VIDUYA (DMMMSU SLUC INTERNS)

Elevators are no longer exclusive to malls or tall buildings.

In a first for the Ilocos Region, the public market in Bacnotan has installed its own elevator, aiming to make market visits easier for people with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, and pregnant women.

Michael Murao, a PWD shopper, described how difficult it used to be. “It’s hard for us when there’s no elevator. Climbing stairs leaves us out of breath and tired,” he said. “But now, with this elevator, things have changed for the better.”

Mayor Divina C. Fontanilla shared that accessibility was their main reason for the installation. “The elevator helps especially our senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women. We used to have ramps, but those weren’t enough—particularly for those in wheelchairs,” she explained.

Vendors like Lelia Orsiya noticed the change. “It’s easier now, we don’t have to go up the stairs,” she said. “More people are coming too, even from outside the town. Unlike before, people avoided the upper floors because of the stairs.”

Alongside the elevator, pushcarts have also been introduced to help those with bulk purchases.

Sanitation and safety are top priorities, too.

The market is equipped with CCTV cameras connected to the command center, and sanitation personnel clean the area daily.

“Not only are the vendors more involved in keeping their stalls clean, but we also have our own staff making sure the market is maintained every day,” said Vannie Valmores Partible, the market supervisor designate.

More than just convenience, Bacnotan’s elevator-equipped market symbolizes a growing push for inclusive and modernized public spaces.