DNL’s Speech on the occasion of the city’s 39th Charter Day
celebration, at the City Hall Atrium, July 1, 2005.
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| ``Life Has Begun for Tagbilaran`` |
If there is one area that I have given myself a failing mark after a year in office,
it is unexplained health. I have experienced growth - but in the wrong places.
It is not a rarity of course. They say that with the coming of age, the most visible
sign of growth is sidewise.
Today, Tagbilaran City celebrates its 39th year anniversary as a charter city.
Many people say life begins at 40. That can be said for Tagbilaran City on its
39th year.
It has been a long time since the city’s leading lights, led by no less than the
late mayor Venancio P. Inting, whom we honor today as Tagbilaran City’s founding
father, planted the seed of a city we now call home.
Mayor Inting not only had to deal with the uncertainties of an uncharted course.
He also had to defend the city from the threat of invasion by a neighboring toughie
of another era.
The bravery and courage of our forefathers may not mean much to us now but we
will not be here if they had not resisted the inroads of criminal activities.
This is the reason why we are honoring Mayor Inting and Police Maj. Asisclo Epe
with posthumous awards and retired Police Chief Doroteo Paredes. In our own little
way, we hope to perpetuate their memory so Tagbilaran will not forget.
For a city that is the showcase of Bohol’s growth and progress and gateway to
the fastest-growing tourism destination in the country, Tagbilaran had remained
a well-kept secret to the nation. Until now.
This is a crucial time for Tagbilaran as it is for the nation. It stands on the
fork on the road where it has to make a choice by determining the direction that
the city will take in the next few years. Many local governments fail because
the goals are not defined and because the people’s agenda are neglected.
How time flies. It seems like it was only yesterday when I stood before you to
share with you my visions on what this city will be like and where it is headed
for.
Since day 1, the city government has embarked on an ambitious people-oriented
development program that redefined its development agenda.
While the city’s skyline is expected to rise with a modern multi-million modern
convention and sports center, more school buildings and an expansive road network,
the cornerstone of Tagbilaran’s development agenda is its people.
The first business of the day upon the assumption of your mayor and Vice Mayor
Nuevas Tirol-Montes was to wage an aggressive campaign to address the growing
problem on illegal drugs. While there are sporadic drug-related incidents, city
residents have since acknowledged that the city’s law-enforcers with the cooperation
of concerned constituents have virtually neutralized the problem.
An on-going campaign is to equip the city PNP and support systems such as the
Barangay Tanods to ensure that the peace and order situation will remain stable.
Unless the people are secure, there is no development agenda to speak of.
The health agenda focused on the institutionalization of blue cards which provide
free hospitalization for indigents. This program is now in place. It is the commitment
of the Lim-Montes administration that no Tagbilaran constituent is deprived of
hospitalization in government hospitals due to poverty.
Despite winning under different political parties, the incumbent officials have
unanimously identified an executive-legislative agenda that confronts the leading
problems and addresses the priority issues of the city.
This partnership is being strengthened by the active participation of civil society
representatives right from the conceptual stage that included comprehensive barangay
development planning.
To put into full use existing government resources, the city government has embarked
on a program that seeks to rightsize the organization by an early retirement program
incentive scheme. The bureaucracy is also being trained towards the full computerization
of services.
The cornerstone of Tagbilaran’s development agenda however is to prepare the future
generations for the highly-competitive world they will face. The city has availed
of the services of Dr. Howard Gardner of the Harvard Graduate School of Education
who is the primary advocate of multiple intelligence education.
Dr. Gardner’s approach is being implemented in the city’s early childhood development
program that will lay the foundation for free quality public education of Tagbilaran’s
future citizens.
Starting this school year, all public school elementary students numbering more
than 9,000 are provided with free school uniforms and school supplies so there
will be little distinctions among the different economic classes inside the institutions
of learning.
Let me take this occasion to announce that the bidding for the school uniform
provider was won by Alturas Supermarket Corporation. Hopefully, the uniforms will
be delivered by the second week of July.
Along with the continuing infrastructure development programs to improve the elementary
public school buildings and facilities, it is the vision of the city government
that the pupils will learn to value dignity and education early in life.
The different programs incorporated in the city’s development agenda is directed
primarily towards poverty reduction. In my inaugural address, I noted that bigger
plans for infrastructure and economic development are hollow and deceptive if
the people in the city remain poor, sick and angry.
Sooner or later, these structures will give way to the constant onslaught of crime
and lawlessness. A hungry man is an angry man. That goes too with every hungry
woman, youth and child.
Acknowledging the prevailing problems and existing limitations, the city government
remains firm in its commitment for growth and progress. While nothing can be done
about the past and there is little that people can do about the present, there
is a lot that can be done for the future.
Indeed, life has began for Tagbilaran. As the Lim-Montes administration enters
its second year, we promise to be more bullish in implementing our development
agenda.
We will aggressively open more roads to prepare the city for its big push. This
time we must learn our lessons by looking ahead. To prevent traffic jams and choke
points that we are experiencing during peak hours, we will put in place a road
network that will be relevant at least for the next 20 years.
For a start, we expect to wrap up our negotiations to reopen roads that have been
closed due to legal complications. We vow to free land owners of tax obligations
over their properties used by the city.
To speed up the work on the road network, the city government will operate its
own batching plant. We will not only save precious funds, we will also be able
to tap the city’s available manpower resources.
While we are grateful to the Alturas group for putting up the Island City Mall
which is a move to spread out progress, the city is obligated to build the roads
to new growth areas.
We however reiterate our continuing commitment to the health concerns of our people.
This year we are putting up satellite clinics in the barangays of Mansasa, Dao,
Booy and Manga.
These clinics will address not only the preventive health care programs in their
respective areas of responsibility. They will also be the immediate response centers
for the treatment of ailments and injuries that are not life-threatening.
These programs and many more will keep us on the go. This will require sacrifices
and hard work, long nights and longer days. It is not easy, but excellence never
comes cheap.
If we must dream, we might as well dream big. Thus was born the vision of “The
Little City with Big Dreams”.
Tagbilaran City is investing in its people. In the process, it is actually investing
in its future.
Tagbilaran is a city on a mission. Tagbilaran is not just fighting for survival,
it is aiming for excellence. It is one thing to survive the challenge. It is another
to aim for the top.
There is no doubt that the city government cannot do it alone. It needs all the
support it can get, from the NGOs, civil society, the church, business and professional
societies and individuals who care enough to make a difference in the lives of
others.
At this juncture, I would like to personally thank Manila Mayor Lito Atienza for
his initial donations and continuing commitment to Tagbilaran’s quality early
children and elementary public education programs, Dr. Howard Gardner, the Institute
for Solidarity in Asia, Aus-Aid, USAid and the German Development Foundation for
actual commitments to Tagbilaran’s development agenda.
I would also like to acknowledge the vote of confidence given to the city government
by our corporate honorees, San Miguel Brewery Corporation, Coca-Cola Bottlers
Philippines, MacDonald’s corporation and of course Island City Mall of the Alturas
Group of Companies.
By dutifully paying their taxes, they have actually declared their support for
all our development programs that our people are starting to enjoy.
Of course, I could not have gone this far without the unqualified support of my
parents, former Councilor Segundo Lim and former Vice Mayor Gloria Neri-Lim. I
take this opportunity to acknowledge the support of my wife Sharleen and my children,
Dan Ismael, Gloria Gail and Charles Seg.
At the same time, I am grateful for the partnership that I enjoy with my official
family, Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes and the entire city council. We have proven
the cynics wrong by working harmoniously. With the tension over the birth pains
gone, I expect a stronger partnership in the coming years.
Let me take this opportunity to salute our honorees as outstanding employees.
Supt. Ernesto Agas and Supt. Jesus Acculador may not win awards as the most popular
employees but they have given more than their share so our neighborhoods can be
safe and our streets a little less stressful.
Many may be envious of Engr. Edmundo Jimenez as he accepts his award but I doubt
that there are many who will be as dedicated as he is to the task demanded of
him by the city. In the past year however, Engr. Jimenez has shown us what commitment
means in such a thankless job as collecting garbage and disposing of them properly.
Barely one year on the job, I expect to make the grade. Having served as city
councilor, city administrator and for a time Man Friday of Rep. Luis “Baby” Asistio
and honed by no less than Tony Gatmaitan himself, I believe my heart and my mind
are in the right places.
Above all, I believe God will perform a miracle in “The Little City with Big Dreams”.
With the prayers of all those who care enough for Tagbilaran and its people, we
can never go wrong.
On its 39th year going on 40, life has began for Tagbilaran. Happy charter day
to all of you. Thank you and may God continue to bless us in the years to come. |
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