GF January 2000 Issue Text Version

THE TEMPORARY INTERNET PUBLICATION OF CITY GOVERNMENT OF TAGUM CITY

Volume 3 No. 1

Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Phils.

January 2000

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[ COVER ]

2nd State of Tagum City Address

Cover Story:

Reporting of a P 2.1 M over-collection and a net savings of P 32.1 M, Mayor Rey T. Uy said during his 2nd State of Tagum City Address that even as his administration would focus on addressing basic needs identified during the MBN Survey, he will continue to pursue its infrastructure development program in the conviction that a good infrastructure foundation is necessary to steer progress and development to Tagum City and sustain its economic growth.

Addressing LGU officials and leaders of non-government organizations, the mayor promised to continue to exert efforts to bring Tagum City to the top and show other LGUs that the only way up is through hard work and belief in the capabilities of its constituency .

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T

2nd State of Tagum City Address [ Cover Story ]

A. The Year That Was

A.1. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

A.2. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

A.3. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

3.1. Health

<> EYE “I” CARE

<> MEDICAL-DENTAL SERVICES

<> NUTRITION PROGRAM

<> VOLUNTARY BLOOD SERVICES

<> HEALTH & SANITATION

<> SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

<> EDUCATION

<> RESETTLEMENT

<> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

<> SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

<> DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

* Human Resource

* Computerization

* Documentation of government property

* Peace and Order

* Logistic support for project implementors

B. THRUSTS FOR THE YEAR 2000

B.1. EXECUTIVE AGENDA:

Continuing Infrastructure Program

1. Road opening/concreting/asphalting

2. Drainage system/bridges

3. Water / barangay electrification

4. School building construction
5. Miscellaneous infra projects

6. Social services

7. Administration Development

C. CONCLUSION:

FINAL MESSAGES

BARANGAY IN FOCUS

Barangay Magugpo South: Home of the country's Most Outstanding Lupong Tagapamayapa

P R O F I L E

Hon. Allan L. Rellon : A Born Achievers

LEGISLATIVE

Approved Resolution of January 2000

EDITORIALS

Rapport among LGU officials: a crucial factor toward success in local governance.

79TH Regular Session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod

January 24, 2000, 2:00 P.M. at CAP Auditorium, Tagum City

STATE OF TAGUM CITY ADDRESS

Theme:

SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

A. The Year That Was [ Top ]

The year 1999 saw the present administration’s serious pursuit of its vision of local governance which is grounded on the principle that its reason for being is service to the common TAO.

This administration’s brand of service is rooted on the motto which has inspired and guided our actions this past year and will continue to guide us as we steer Tagum into progress and development:

KINSA PA MAN DIAY ANG MOTABANG SA TAGUM, KONDILI KITA RA USAB NGA TAGA-TAGUM.

I am very strongly inclined to believe that the record accomplishments that we have achieved this year were inspired by that sense of ownership for everything that happens to Tagum which the motto has aroused among us, Tagumeños.

A.1. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT [ Top ]

During the First State of Tagum City Address last year, one of the major goals we have set ourselves to achieve was the generation of more local revenues and prudent fiscal management despite our increased budget.

Relentlessly pursuing this goal, the City Government exerted all-out efforts, even conducting tax saturation drives in order to realize the 1999 target budget which was pegged at P267.3 M . As of Closing Special Budget, we have a total collection in the amount of P269.4M. This means that we have overshot our target collection by P2. 1 M.

While the national government and some LGUs complain of a budget deficit, the LGU of Tagum City has registered an over-collection. This is a feat never before experienced in the history of the LGU. The Economic Enterprise Office deserves a special mention here as their initiatives and efforts have greatly contributed to this remarkable achievement .

SECTION

Market

Pub. Utilities

Cash Tickets

Slaughterhouse

TLAC

Cemetery

TOTAL

1998

P 11,804,214

315,870

708,935

759,437

49,620

P 13,638,080

JAN - DEC. 1999

P 20,686,448

8,470,579

2,017,109

1,260,186

487,802

164,530

P 33,086,654

INCREASE DEC.

P 8,882,230

8,154,709

1,308,174

500,749

487,802

114,910

P 19,448,574

I am happy to report to the people of the City of Tagum, that through our combined efforts, and despite the numerous projects we have already completed and the ones still going on, the LGU has realized a net surplus of over P32.1M as per Closing Special Budget. This is the total of our savings from unexpended appropriations and the over-collection

This is the result of the cost-cutting measures that have been implemented in the different offices without necessarily sacrificing services.

Foresight, careful and critical planning based on actual needs as gleaned from the Pulong-Tulong activities we conducted, and realistic budgeting readily account for this success in fiscal management for 1999. We also attribute these accomplishments to our effective collection strategy, efficient human resource management, and the optimum utilization of funds in relation to disbursements and project implementation.

It is also worthwhile to note that our policy of implementing the various infrastructure projects by administration has contributed significantly to the savings we now have.

True to my promise of more projects and developments for 1999, the following report is an account of how we have spent the taxes which people paid -- including those of the lowly balut and barbecue vendors.

A.2. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT [ Top ]

Anticipating the direction that Tagum City is taking as far as progress and development is concerned, we have developed a long-range infrastructure development plan. Foremost among the considerations in this plan is the lasting infrastructure foundation that should be prioritized such as the drainage and flood control system

(for which we have developed a Master Plan), the critical roads and avenues that will steer progress to Tagum; the school buildings and other government facilities whose positioning now will either spur or hamper the growth of Tagum City as an urban center, as a strategic melting pot of agri-industrialization.

For 1999, total project cost for infrastructure development projects amounted to P114.7 M. This is broken down as follows: P24.7 M for the concreting of 11, 463.25 lin. meters of roads; P11.6 M for the construction/rehabilitation of 4,975.64 lin. meters of drainage canal; P4.3 M for 155 units of streetlights in support to barangay electrification; P44.8 M for new government facilities, construction and completion of various barangay halls, day care and purok centers, and LGU assistance for various barangay projects; P13.3 M for maintenance of roads, streetlights, drainage and other government structures; P16.2 M for specially funded projects under the Agrarian Reform Community Development Program (ARCDP) which include the installation of potable water supply (level II), the 30 lin. m. Lower Ilog Bridge, and the Bagong Silang Rancho Road with 45 lin. meter concrete bridge.

PROJECT TOTAL COST P114.7M

[ PICTURE ]

Aside from boosting our efforts at flood control, the construction and rehabilitation of drainage canals, for instance, have contributed much to the dramatic decline of dengue cases as per CHO report - from an alarming number of 125 cases from January to August 1998, dengue cases dropped to eight (8) cases in 1999.

The road opening and concreting projects are very crucial priorities because 10-20 years from now, Tagum City will already be crowded. By that time, every nook and corner of the city will have been occupied by takers, even squatters and landowners who will not budge from where they have put their stakes. And by that time, real estate will have become very expensive that no one will donate even a single square meter even for road right of way, much more roads.

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Last year, the Santa Cruz Avenue was inaugurated. That P 2M road project would not have been possible without the generosity of the families of the late Numeriano Santa Cruz Sr. and the late Joaquin Pereyras who donated the lot for the road opening project.

School building improvement, repair, and construction had its share of more or less P 9 M as our initial response to the perennial clamor for more classrooms.

We consider it our record achievement to have facilitated the approval by the Bureau of Building Design of the Department of Public Works and Highways of a

common design for school buildings in the city. All of them will be high rise in anticipation of student population several years from now. These standard classroom units will ensure an atmosphere that is conducive to both teaching and learning. This is our investment for quality and competitive education for the children of Tagum City.

[ PICTURE ]

Other than drainage canals, there are on going road concreting projects, including an additional lane along the National Highway; construction of school buildings and other infrastructure projects which include the completion of barangay halls, construction/repair of day care centers, construction/completion of purok centers, electrification and streetlighting, installation of potable water system; LGU assistance to various infra projects in the barangays; the site development and fencing of the motorpool at Tipaz and the establishment of a Service Center for all government equipment. We have a P 23 M continuing appropriation for on-going projects in the city.

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A.3. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT [ Top ]

3.1. Health

<> EYE “I” CARE [ Top ]

The SAGIP- MATA or EYE “I” CARE Program is a comprehensive surgery program managed and supervised jointly by the SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL of DAVAO DEL NORTE Tagum City Chapter, the UCCP Social Services Foundation, and the Davao Regional Hospital, and is supported by the LGU. We have allocated P 400 K for microscopic surgery equipment and P 300 K for supplies and medicines. A total of 508 patients have been operated on: 83 for pterygium excision and grafting and 192 for cataract surgery. A total of 316 minor, medium and major surgeries on patients with facial deformities, goiter, myoma, hernia, etc. have been performed. This is done every Friday at the Davao Regional Hospital Gym, and patients come not only from Tagum City and Davao del Norte but Compostela Valley Province as well.

[ PICTURE ]

The program has caught the interest of other LGUs and we already had an initial agreement to expand the program by pooling our resources to subsidize and sustain it.

It is worth mentioning here that because of Davao Regional Hospital’s significant participation for the success of the program, DRH was awarded accreditation from the Phil. Association of Ophthalmologists.

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<> MEDICAL-DENTAL SERVICES [ Top ]

We implemented the Pulong-Tulong sa Barangay last February and completed our rounds of the 23 barangays early last December.

[ PICTURE ]

This two-pronged program intended first , to hear straight from the people the issues and concerns affecting their day to day life; and, second, to bring to them the medical-dental services that most of our barangay folks cannot avail of because , for some reasons, they cannot go to our health centers.

Statistics from our two health offices who played a very significant role in this program, show that a total of 46,655 clients have been served within the 10 months or so that we have conducted the Pulong-Tulong. Those who were not attended to because of time constraints were served at the Health Centers.

Aside from being able to realign our priorities as a result of what we learned during these consultations in the barangay, the CHOs were also alerted to the prevalence of a tuberculosis infected pool in the barangays which require our immediate and focused attention.

<> NUTRITION PROGRAM [ Top ]

While we have not yet attained our goal of zero-malnutrition, I am certain we are gaining headway in our drive against this malaise.

The amount of P1M we have appropriated for the program has afforded us the chance to reach

[ PICTURE ]

out to 18, 836 pre-schoolers and 26,348 schoolchildren. Re-launching the Hot Lunch Plus with DECS and the NGOs, we fed 1,049 pre-schoolers, and 1,978 schoolchildren identified as moderately to severely malnourished. The integrated approach we have employed which focused on the five impact programs for nutrition has earned for us the Green Banner Award for Outstanding Implementation of the Nutrition Program, city level, in Region XI. Ms. Ruby Junio, the region’s Most Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar is from Barangay Madaum.

<> VOLUNTARY BLOOD SERVICES [ Top ]

The support we extended to our City and Barangay voluntary blood services program also gained for us both regional and national recognition when I was awarded the Sandugo Award for Local GovernmentExecutive as best implementor of the voluntary blood services program. Barangay Liboganon was also the region’s Best Among the Best because of its exemplary implementation of the barangay voluntary blood services program. I congratulate Barangay Chairman Candelario Jubac, as well as all the Barangay

[ PICTURE ]

Health Workers, all our health workers, in fact, and our blood coordinators for their efforts. While we are pleased with the recognition we received, we are more after of the benefits of a safe and adequate supply of blood for our constituents.

<> HEALTH & SANITATION [ Top ]

The additional six garbage compactors we have acquired will be delivered this April. That would mean faster and more efficient services from the Health and sanitation personnel as they try to cope with the demand of collecting and disposing the increasing bulk of garbage our people generate. Our over-all efforts at environmental sanitation and beautification, including supplemental food production, while not yet the best, have proved worthy of the prestigious Gawad Pangulo sa KAPALIGIRAN, which is an integration of the Clean and Green and the

Linis-Bayan Programs. For the second time, Tagum City has been awarded the Cleanest and Greenest Local Government Unit in Region XI, component city category. We have also been named national finalist this year.

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<> SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES [ Top ]

We have very relevant and responsive programs that address several social welfare concerns regarding women and children, child labor, the working youth, the elderly, the less fortunate, and those persons with disabilities, including productivity skills and capability building.

[ PICTURE ]

While a considerable amount of the Development Fund is immediately allocated for social welfare and development, our efforts at alleviating the living conditions of our people through this sector of public service is boosted by the President’s Lingap sa Mahihirap program from which Tagum City received P 500K for two additional day care centers. We also received funds amounting to more or less P 2.1 M for poverty alleviation projects, livelihood and capability building from DSWD through Vice President Gloria Macapagal and from the Dept. of Labor and Employment.

I have also signed a Memorandum of Agreement in behalf of the 100 poorest among the poor families in five depressed barangays who will receive P 10 K each for housing assistance under the Lingap Para sa Mahihirap through the National Housing Authority.

Beneficiaries come from the barangays of Pagsabangan, Pandapan, New Balamban, Nueva Fuerza and San Agustin. They are also recipients of Lingap Funds from the National Food Authority for ERAP Sari-Sari Stores.

Our social welfare and development programs have earned for us recognition and distinction not only in the region but in the country as well. Among these awards are: the Special Award for Entrepreneurial Development for our Sulong-Dunong livelihood program; the Outstanding Youth Club award; the KABALIKAT award for our Working Youth Center, among others.

Putting a premium in early education for our children, we have a total of 2,562 pupils in 64 day care centers supervised by 60 day care workers. These are all subsidized by the City Government as our investment for early childhood development. We have also organized the parents of those identified street children into the Tagum Parents of Working Children Association (TAPAWCA) to address juvenile delinquency problems, including child labor. We have already organized our Council for the Welfare of Children to look into concerns regarding child abuse.

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The senior citizens and the elderly are also well-taken care of. We have programs that cater to their welfare, including the differently abled in order to bring them back into the mainstream of society.

<> EDUCATION [ Top ]

The Local School Board was allocated some P12 M from the General Fund and the Special Education Fund. Construction, improvement and repair of school buildings last year, and the on-going construction and repair have been charged against this fund, including the purchase of quality tables and chairs worth more or less P 1.5 M, and the musical instruments worth another P 1 M which were distributed to the different public schools.

Support to non-formal education was also increased to over P 550 K to cover honoraria for NFE teachers and coordinators. A significant development was the Memorandum of Agreement I

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signed with the Dept. of Education, Culture and Sports integrating our cultural communities, including our Muslim brothers and sisters into our non-formal education program to give them a chance to catch up with their Christian counterparts and afford them the opportunity to rise above the complexities of modern living.

We have also greatly improved our scholarship package last year with the passing of City Ordinance No. 17, s.1999. With an appropriation of more or less P 1.5 M, our City Educational Scholarship Program (CESPRO) now gives separate semestral allowances for books and uniforms and a monthly allowance for transportation, on top of the tuition fees the scholars are receiving. Each scholar is allotted more or less P 13,000 per semester, as against the financial assistance of P 3,000 in the past.

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Correspondingly, with these new privileges, we have increased the standard of grades – an average of 85% with no grade lower than 84%; but this is not to make it difficult for them, but for them to work doubly

hard and develop that culture of excellence that will enable them to become competitive in rising up to the challenges of the modern times.

<> RESETTLEMENT [ Top ]

Any time next month, the City Government shall have finished the preparation and laying down of the necessary foundation for the first relocation/ resettlement site at Apokon named after the first elected mayor of the then municipality of Tagum, Mr. Manuel B. Suaybaguio Sr. This 1.9-hectare resettlement site will accommodate the more than 100 families who will be relocated away from proposed development sites, not only to facilitate these developments, but to give them a chance to lead better and dignified lives in homes they can call their own.

<> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT [ Top ]

The year 1999 was also a year of hectic laying down of the necessary mechanisms, including policy foundations for economic development, livelihood opportunities and increased productivity for our farmers and fisherfolks and the rest of our less fortunate constituency.

Through the Plant- Now - Pay - Later Program , which now have 149 farmer recipients, we hope to convince our people that there is money in agriculture. Through the program, we provide a loan package in the form of farm inputs

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or materials and technical assistance to qualified recipients. Initially, we have allocated the amount of P 2 M for this program which we consider very viable, not only because of its promising economic implications, but also because of its impact on the environment and our efforts to rehabilitate our dwindling watershed resources through reforestation.

The City has also allocated a considerable amount as initial assistance to our marginal food producers, particularly those in depressed barangays. This assistance takes the form of rice and corn seeds, assorted vegetable seeds and fertilizers distributed under the Rice/Corn/Vegetable Rehabilitation Program intended especially for those affected by the floods that occurred last year. Farmers’ Field Schools on Integrated Pest Management were also conducted to help the farmers by advocating earth friendly technology in the control of farm pests. Some 81 FFS-IPM graduates were turned out last year.

The City Agriculturist’s Office also conduct activities to assist our marginal farmers augment their income through livestock raising. The LGU has provided free vaccinations and deworming activities and distributed free vitamins to 3,206 heads of various livestock in the city.

For the coastal barangays, we have started with the continuing program of establishing a fish sanctuary. Towards this end, the City Agriculturist's Office has installed 260 units of artificial coral reefs and

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9,000 mangrove seedlings, particularly in Liboganon and Madaum. We have also established our BANTAY DAGAT Program to protect the livelihood of our fisherfolks from being encroached upon by fisherfolks from other municipalities.

<> SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT [ Top ]

The City Government recognizes the role that socio-cultural activities play not only in attracting tourists and visitors to the city, but also its ability to unite the people and establish the bonding, the sense of belonging and camaraderie among them.

Therefore, banking on the alliance we have established with non-government organizations and tapping the dynamism of our barangays, we celebrated the first Araw ng Tagum City. This was highlighted by the Launching of the Musikahan sa Tagum City, through which we hope to carve a niche in the tourism industry by making Tagum City the music capital of the region, if not of the country. As an initial undertaking, we acquired over P 1 M worth of musical instruments for the City Band whose presence has enliven many fiesta and foundation day celebrations in the barangays.

We also acquired through the Local School board another P 1 M worth of musical instruments for the different Drum and Bugle Corps (DBCs) of public elementary and high schools.

Even our senior citizens were provided musical instruments to inspire them and allow them to enjoy their twilight years.

We also had the grandest Christmas and Millennium celebration last December. Working hand in hand with our NGO partners and the business sector who played a very significant role in generating the much needed resources to facilitate all the preparations, we made Tagum City’s giant Christmas tree stand tall and proud in front of the City Hall with an animated Christmas display as an added attraction in the background.

On New Year’s Eve, a very memorable 30-minute fireworks display enticed many Tagumeños to welcome the New Millennium in the streets of the city to watch the spectacular fireworks display and the live band concert, again calling to the fore the spirit of unity among our people.

<> DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION [ Top ]

* Human Resource [ Top ]

Despite the fact that we have already become a city and the bulk of transactions have greatly increased this past year, we have few regular workers to absorb the doubled bulk of the work. To compensate for this shortage of regular personnel, the LGU hired qualified contractual workers, placing them in positions where their qualifications fit. To complement the workforce of 275 regular plantilla employees, the number of contractual workers was increased - from 146 in 1998, to 421 in 1999.

We have increased our budgetary assistance for career training and development for both the contractual and regular workers to help them develop attitudes and skills and increase their productivity, efficiency and competitiveness for higher positions in the future.

Again, true to my word, we have upgraded not only salaries . The administration saw to it that office equipment, including furniture and fixtures are upgraded for our office workers’ convenience. Offices are now equipped with brand new computers complete with the latest accessories.

* Computerization [ Top ]

Our computerization program has just started but it is worth noting that our Information Systems Development Office has already established a Local Area Network Infrastructure and have developed programs or systems that has facilitated faster processing of public transactions, especially in business licensing, supply procurement, civil registry and similar systems intended to make public service more efficient and transparent.

With the year-end evaluation we had last December, we look forward to increased productivity, enhanced efficiency and lesser bureaucracy in the LGU.

* Documentation of government property [ Top ]

In our desire to properly document and account for all government property in the city, I have directed our City Environment and Natural Resources Office and the City Legal Office to look into the titling and the processing of all necessary documents related to this matter.

We have established our ownership of the land area occupied by USP and facilitated the titling of six other government property. Processing of the other titles are still on-going.

* Peace and Order [ Top ]

We have been relentless in our campaign against crime and in the establishment of Peace and Order in the City. This is very essential if we have to sustain whatever gains we have in terms of progress and development.

Our barangay officials have helped significantly in our efforts in this area. The Barangay Police Laban sa Krimen has been of great help in the efforts to maintain peace and order in the countryside.

In fact, the Most Outstanding Lupong Tagapamayapa in the region and in the whole country is from Barangay Magugpo South. I congratulate Barangay Chairman Danilo S. Gullon and his barangay council, his Lupong Tagapamayapa, and of course, our local DILG office who has been closely coordinating our barangay affairs.

We have provided all the 23 barangays with Patrol Cars complete with communication equipment so that the Barangay Police can also do patrol activities to complement the workforce of our PNP.

We have also provided the PNP two additional patrol cars and motorcycles for increased mobility and faster response time during emergency. We also issued handheld radios and communication base to enhance their efficiency. Economic support in terms of quarterly rice subsidy is also given to them.

They have to work on the double, though. According to our PNP office report, there was a slight increase in the crime rate in the city – from 0.13% in 1998 to 0.14% in 1999. Although, considering that Tagum has become a booming metropolis and outsiders are lured to come here for whatever economic opportunities they feel they can derive from the city and its people, the report is not really very surprising. It is consoling to note, though, that our PNP’s solution efficiency rose from 81.9 % in 1998 to 85.40% last year.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend the LGU’s gratitude to our NGOs who have been very active in our campaign for peace and order, including our campaign and drive against illegal drugs.

* Logistic support for project implementors [ Top ]

We have extended full logistic support to all our project implementors in the city: service vehicles were provided to department heads and our legislators, including project and supervising engineers to enhance their mobility and ability to monitor/visit project sites for close supervision of projects.

It is well to note that all infrastructure projects of the LGU are implemented by administration. Close monitoring has resulted to quality projects and big savings, resulting to more projects than we have actually budgeted for and more jobs for our people. Our hiring of project based contractual workers have increased employment in the LGU from 314 in 1998, as against 1,563 in 1999.

Another logistic support we have provided is the beefing up of our heavy equipment pool which also greatly accounts for our efficient project implementation.

It is my pride and honor to inform everyone that with the heavy equipment we have acquired which include several dump trucks, a cement mixer, asphalt plant, stone crusher, road roller, bulldozer, payloader, backhoe, batching plant all safely stationed at the new motorpool in Tipaz, Barangay East, we have earned the trust of the Department of Public Works and Highways and been given authority to implement DPWH projects starting this year.