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ANGELES CITY
–
Mayor Francis “Blueboy” L. Nepomuceno
revealed the city government here has made significant
strides in tax revenue collection in the first five months
of the year amounting to P465 million which is 72 percent of
the total tax collections in 2007.
Nepomuceno said the city government is
“expecting around P500M more in uncollected revenues in the
second half of this year.” “With this positive outlook, the
city will operate with an approved budget of P1 billion.
This will be the first time ever that our budget has hit the
billion mark and grow in just one year’s time.”
“With a bigger budget, we can spend for
more basic services to our people,” said Nepomuceno during
his State of the City Address (SOCA) at the SM Clark Event
Center on Monday.
“Angeles City has undergone a transition.
Year 2007 was spent implementing changes through innovative
projects to speed up public service as our administration
promises to be a responsible, efficient and accountable
government ensuring the welfare of the Angelenos,” said
Nepomuceno.
Based on the comparative report of
revenue collections by the City Treasurer’s Office as of May
2008, the actual collections of the city if P464,829,728.33.
This, amid the depleted cash reserve and a huge debt balance
amounting to P361,086,147.61 left by the previous
administration.
The Nepomuceno administration has already
partially paid for the huge debt which had been reduced to
P122.4 million for this year. The city government is paying
P10 million monthly amortization for debt servicing.
The bulk of
the debt came from the two “white elephants” which
Nepomuceno referred to as the San Nicolas Public Market and
the slaughterhouse. A debt of P309.8 million had been
incurred by the San Nicolas Public Market which has P2.7
million monthly amortization while the slaughterhouse
incurred debt amounting to P44.7 million. “Ang pagbabayad ng
utang sa ginastos sa mga gusaling ito ay higit pa sa dapat
na pakinabang o return of investment for the city,” said
Nepomuceno.
Rising from
what Nepomuceno described as “man-made disaster”, the local
executive said the city government under his administration
immediately buckled up to work to solve the problems.
On the issue
of the San Nicolas Public Market, the city government
created the Market Advisory Committee which is tasked to
look into the issues of debt servicing and the plight of the
vendors. At least 178 stall certificates had been
immediately awarded to the first batch of vendors last June
30, 2008 with a projected income of P288,000 per month or
P3,456,000 million yearly.
The
slaughterhouse was leased to Dealco Farms Inc. for a period
of 25 years on December 12, 2007 and the city government is
expecting to generate P200,000 monthly from its operations
from nothing.
Nepomuceno
said the rentals at the San Nicolas Public Market and the
slaughterhouse will defray the monthly debt servicing
incurred by the two projects. He also said that the city
government has successfully negotiated with the LandBank and
the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) on extending
the amortization period.
Nepomuceno
also said that 5 out of the 16 infrastructure projects worth
over P51 million had already been completed. He identified
these projects as the concreting of Palosapis Street in
Barangay Sto. Domingo, Angel St. cor. Franciso St. of
Barangay Balibago; asphalt overlaying and
construction/improvement of the PNP Crime Laboratory
Building at Camp Tomas Pepito; construction of the Leoncia
Bridge Spillway; asphalt overlaying along Arayat Blvd, Brgy
Pampang; reroofing and improvement of Pampanga Public Market
(Phase I); construction/improvement of Villar Gloria Covered
Court in Brgy San Jose; and improvement of drainage system
along Don Meliton and Don Juico Avenues in Barangay
Malabanas and Anunas.
On peace and
order, Nepomuceno said the city government gave new police
patrol vehicles to the Angeles City Police Office (ACPO)
consisting of 2 Toyota Innovas, 4 Toyota Vios, 2 Toyota Hi-Lux
Pick-Ups, 3 motorcycles and 2 all-terrain vehicles. More
vehicle were also awarded to the Bureau of Fire, Civilian
Security Unit and the Home Emergency & Response Office
(HERO).
Nepomuceno
said the vehicles increased police visibility and mobility
and now serve as deterrent to crime made evident with the
arrest of law offenders in the past weeks that included the
high-speed car-chase against a suspected drug peddler.
On education, Nepomuceno said around 360
students had been temporarily hired through the Public
Employment Service Office (PESO) so they can earn extra
money for the next school year while a scholarship program
was launched for the poor but deserving students.
On shelter, Nepomuceno said “our firm
advocacy is to uplift the social status of the marginalized
sector and in enhancing our urban poor development program.”
The city government and the Local Urban Poor Affairs &
Housing Office (LUPAHO) distributed more than 28
Certificates of Land Ownership to indigent families.
Nepomuceno said the city government is
also bringing the government to the people via the “People’s
Day: Gobyerno sa Piling Mo” in the 33 barangays where
various government offices provide extension service desks
to serve the public. Free medical and dental services,
medicine, legal consultation and overseas call are being
extended to the public.
On May
28, 2008, Nepomuceno has also inked the Collective
Negotiation Agreement (CNA) to ensure harmonious
relationship with the government workers assuring constant
dialogue, care and workers’ development. The CNA empowered
the city government employees to be a part in the important
process of decision-making to make them effective and
efficient in the delivery of basic services to the public,
said Nepomuceno.
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