Belmonte vows better physical, social QC landscape in 2008

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is upbeat that the city will see more improvements in its physical and social landscapes in 2008. The mayor said this will be achieved once the proposed physical and social programs of the city government are implemented starting this year.

Under the physical program, Belmonte said the city government has bid out a total of 281 projects amounting to P2.2 billion during the public auction conducted at the City Hall on Nov. 22, 28 and Dec. 3 last year.

“The city government will also implement more social or human resources programs that would further improve the economic well being, and professional development of the city residents,” he said.

The mayor said with the city’s P8.6 billion budget for 2008 — the biggest budget for a local government in the country — the city government will spend more on social and health services and education, and programs that will greatly redound to the benefit of women and the disadvantaged sector in the city.

Quezon City’s P8.6 budget for this year includes its surplus budget in 2007 amounting to P1.2 billion.

Among the proposed programs that the city government will implement this year is the construction of the eight-storey twin tower civic center building at the back of the treasury building, QC multi-purpose center, QC general housing, underpass along North Avenue in Payatas and conversion of the Belarmino school into a sports complex.

Construction of additional school buildings also forms part of the city’s infrastructure development which includes the proposed four-storey Commonwealth High School, Emilio Aguinaldo High School, Batasan Elementary School, Holy Spirit Elementary School, Maligaya Elementary School, Quirino Elementary School, San Francisco and Tandang Sora High Schools.