CEBU CITY, Aug. 28 (PNA) — The mayors of Cebu’s so-called “bridge cities,” Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, have reported robust economic growth in their respective cities over the past 12 months.
Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu are called “bridge cities’ because both ends of the two bridges linking the Cebu mainland and Mactan Island are in the two cities.
Mayors Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City and Paz Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City delivered their respective State of the City Addresses on Wednesday.
Cortes said Mandaue City has refined its vision from being a premier business destination to a more focused goal of becoming the primary source of high quality manufactured consumer products by year 2020.
“Mandaue City is now working towards becoming an ‘island of good governance’ in order to be among the top performing cities of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) community integration,” Cortes said.
This vision, he said, has led Mandaue to engage in the Performance Governance System “to pursue a clear direction of becoming the primary source of Philippine-made high quality products.”
Cortes said the city has logged 1,740 new businesses while a total of over P4.2 billion worth of direct capital investment has been infused into the local economy.
Cortes said the city spent a total of P151 million to improve road networks and improve the city’s drainage systems.
Cortes said the 7.2-magnitude earthquake destroyed the city’s new public market and 134 classrooms, but 106 of these classrooms were repaired in a span of six months and are now being used by school children, while 28 more are nearing completion.
On the other hand, Radaza said Lapu-Lapu City this year registered about 11,000 new businesses or a 60 percent increase compared to last year’s data.
“The inflow of investments is akin to a stamp of approval — not just by big investors but also by small and medium enterprises — on how the city is run,” she said.
Radaza said a beach resort has recently revealed its P50 million major face lift; a local mall chain that opened last year has provided employment to residents; and an international mall chain has started operating in Barangay Basak.
In addition, giant property developer Megaworld has increased to P30 billion its investments to the city, up from the original P20 billion it announced at the start of the development of its Mactan township project.
Some P17.5 billion has also been earmarked for the expansion of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) which is seen to stimulate more economic and tourism activities.
“We increased investor confidence by embracing good governance and accountability, practicing servant leadership and instilling transparency,” Radaza said.
Radaza said the MCIA Authority has paid almost P200 million in taxes it owes to the city, of which P74 million will go to the city, P32 million to the barangays hosting the airport, P76 million to the Special Education Fund and P8 million to the city’s trust fund.
Lapu-Lapu City has been demanding that the MCIA pay to the city its unpaid real property taxes of about P1.79 billion, including penalties.
Radaza also said the city constructed 131 classrooms last year and another 88 classrooms this year to reduce shortage to 337. (PNA)