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City
Mayor Dan Lim yesterday said Tagbilaran is "sowing the
seeds of growth and progress" as it received recognition
as one of eight "business friendly" cities in the
country.
During
his weekly "Mayor's Report" over Station dyRD, Lim
said the recognition, which was published in a national newspaper,
shows the strides that Tagbilaran has taken in the last three
years.
"After
a long period of slumber, after a long time when it was considered
as nothing but a poor city, Tagbilaran has shown signs of
change," the mayor said.
Aside
from Tagbilaran, the other cities which earned the same distinction
from the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) are San Fernando,
La Union; San Fernando, Pampanga; Marikina, Naga, Sorsogon,
Calbayog and Iloilo.
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NCC
Director Virgilio Fulgencio said the cities were adjudged
as "a good place to live in, to work in and do
business with".
Just
last month, Tagbilaran was one of only three Philippine
cities along with San Fernando , Pampanga and Marikina
which composed the country's delegation to the 2007
Global Summit in Washington , DC .
The
three were earlier chosen by the Institute for Solidarity
in Asia as model cities for being public governance
system (PGS)-compliant.
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Lim
noted that some people are asking what the city has reaped
with all these recognitions.
"For
now, none yet," he declared categorically.
The
mayor however hastened to add that before people come up with
a litany of complaints that all these are useless, he asked
them to reflect on certain things.
"We
live in a world and time where there are so many idle workers
and few capitalists looking for places to put up businesses,"
he noted.
Before
they decide on a particular place, Lim said they will look
for one with the "right climate - not just weather conditions
but quality of life, peace and order, basic services, efficiency
of service, among others."
He
said no businessman in his right mind will put up a business
in a place where there is no assurance for it.
"What
we are doing now is to plant the seeds to make our city attractive
in the eyes of prospective investors who intend to put up
businesses here," he added.
The
mayor expressed sadness that some people, instead of helping
in these efforts, are in fact the ones who are standing in
the way.
"They
are mocking our efforts to plant these seeds because they
think that they can reap where they did not sow," he
added.
Due
to the economic crisis, Lim said the population in the city
is increasing even if there is no assurance that there are
jobs available for them.
"And
due to the negligence of barangay officials, squatter has
become a major problem in our city," he added.
Lim
warned that the problem is like "a social volcano that
can erupt anytime."
"Our
response to attract more investors that will need more workers
that in turn will solve the problems of the urban poor,"
he pointed out.
At
the same time, Lim said that while working to achieve this,
the city has not neglected the needs of the present.
He
pointed to his administration's pro-poor programs such as
support for elementary and pre-school education, free hospitalization
for indigents and the Botika sa Katawhan for the poorest of
the poor.
Lim
emphasized the need to plant the right seeds to reap a good
harvest.
"If
we plant seeds of discord, disagreements, false accusations
and personal attacks, we will reap chaos. More than anything,
it is like we are announcing to the world our refusal to receive
investors," he added.
Lim
said that in the entire world history, no nation ever progressed
because its people were rebellious.
"Instead,
the communities that progressed were those that were united,
harmonious, industrious, peaceful and disciplined," he
added.
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