‘We brought Mandaue forward’

CEBU, Philippines - Eight years ago, Mandaue City was marked by "political divide and deep mistrust between personnel and leadership resulting to the city's poor performance."

Yesterday, Mayor Jonas Cortes said his administration was able to "bring Mandaue forward, win the hearts of the city workers, community and then the businessmen."

In his last State of the City Address, Cortes broadcast the increase of funds for different services of the city, starting when he was sworn in as mayor until the present. He faced more or less 4,000 Mandauehanons and stakeholders yesterday at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

Cortes was just discharged from the hospital on the same day he delivered his SOCA.

He said that in 2007, the city's annual budget was P633 million, and this reached to P2.7 billion in 2015.

The mayor also reported that the outstanding debt of Mandaue reduced to P232 million in 2015 from P819 million in 2007. He described the city's current fiscal liabilities as "have never been lower and more manageable."

He also said that the city's properties and equipment, including those for disaster response, have increased. From P1.4 billion worth of PPEs in 2007, the amount doubled this year to P2.8 billion.

He said that all the equipment are now "available for the city's use to provide public service."

Aside from the PPEs, the mayor also reported his accomplishments regarding infrastructure, including the asphalting and concreting of road and the installation drainage systems.

"We have concreted and asphalted a total of 16,992.28 linear meters of road and installed 20,335.55 linear meters of drainage," Cortes said.

He added that the bidding for the construction of the new Mandaue City public market was already conducted. The new market will rise on its original site behind the National Shrine of St. Joseph.

The mayor also said there are two major developments in Mandaue, which include commercial and residential facilities.

Cortes also took pride in the increase of salary of job order employees to P340 per day starting last year. The salary of JOs before was only P235.

Hearts, lamps

The mayor also showed the "3 Hearts of Good Governance Pathway" and two silver lamps as trailblazer awards that the city reaped after implementing the Performance Governance System.

"It was my mission to be an example of responsive governance every step of the way," he said.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, who graced the mayor's SOCA, congratulated Cortes for all the changes he implemented in Mandaue.

"The Mandauehanons should be very proud of him, of what he's done," the governor said.

Aside from Davide, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, Representative Luigi Quisumbing (Cebu, sixth district), and former Cebu City congressman Tomas Osmeña were also present.

Quisumbing said he admired Cortes for all he accomplished for the city.

"It's a testament of his vision and leadership," said Quisumbing.

The business sector also came to witness the last SOCA of Cortes.

The mayor highlighted how the trust of the traders was regained. He said that his administration's target was to make Mandaue as the primary source of quality goods and services by 2020.

Donato Busa, president of Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the business sector "admired his programs."

Not well

The mayor, who delivered his 45-minute speech despite not feeling well, thanked all the Mandauehanons and other stakeholders for letting him report his accomplishments.

According to the mayor, he was suffering from dehydration, high blood pressure, loose bowel movement, and low potassium level.

The mayor said that he was advised by his physician to go straight home after he was discharged from hospital.

However, he asked his doctor to let him attend the event as he could not forego the SOCA at the last minute. (FREEMAN)