DAGUPAN CITY, April 22 (PNA) — The city government of Dagupan realized an unprecedented surplus of PhP53.6 million last year, the biggest ever registered by the local government unit.
This was bared by City Budget Officer Luz De Guzman who said PhP17.63 million of the surplus came from over- collection from estimated revenues, while PhP35 million represented savings due to cost-cutting adopted by all offices of the city government.
De Guzman said the surplus did not yet include the proceeds from the sale of the former MC Adore Hotel in the amount of PhP119 million, which is intact and remains untouched due to the still unresolved litigation over the sale of the property sometime in 2013 when Fernandez was not yet mayor of the city.
She explained that per the 2014 annual city budget, the estimated revenue collection was PhP628 million but due to vigorous revenue collections waged by the local government on order of Mayor Fernandez, collections went up to PhP645.69 million up to the end of that year.
In 2013, the surplus was pegged at only PhP3.8 million. Fernandez took over as mayor in July 2013.
De Guzman noted that the takeover by the city from private contractors of from eight to nine comfort rooms also helped increase the collections of taxes, whereas all these combined were generating only PhP450,000 in the past.
New businesses have been put up in the city since the start of the new city administration. (PNA)