Business group salutes QC mayor

The Quezon City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCCI), the premier business organization in the city, together with civic and non-government organizations will tender a testimonial dinner in honor of Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Thursday for the numerous awards he earned for Quezon City in the last two and a half years.

QCCCI president Nathan Zulueta said the testimonial dinner, which will be held at the Celebrity Sports Plaza, will be attended by top business and civic leaders including the City Council headed by Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Zulueta said Quezon City’s phenomenal financial turnaround from having a P10-million cash deficit to producing a P3-billion cash balance has made the city the richest local government unit in the country.

He said the declaration of Quezon City by the Commission on Audit as the richest city, followed by recognition by the Department of the Interior and Local Government as the best managed city in the country has made Quezon City a center of interest among local government experts here and abroad.

Among the major awards Belmonte earned for 2002 was the most outstanding Filipino in government award, given by the Philippine Jaycees Senate and the Insular Life Foundation.

This year was practically a harvest of major awards in local governance, including the following:

• the Most Livable City Award from the Metrobank Foundation;

• the Most Outstanding City Mayor Award conferred by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and DILG Secretary Jose Lina Jr.;

• the Most Business Friendly Local Government Unit Award given by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry;

• the Manuel L. Quezon Bantayog Award as the Most Outstanding Mayor in the Philippines given by the Quezon City Press Club; and

• the Gawad Galing Pook Award for effective fiscal management given in Malacañang by President Arroyo.

Zulueta said awards are proof of Belmonte’s scholarship in governance and excellence in leadership.

" The vision of the mayor is to make Quezon City a model for effective governance, responsible leadership in partnership with the citizenry in building a quality community," Zulueta said.