Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo marked his first year in office last Friday by listing his accomplishments.
“We have spent the first 12 months of my term planning and negotiating with concerned lot owners and private investors to build the new government center and its support facilities away from the crowded downtown area,” he said in a media release Friday.
He said he has also been pre-occupied in negotiating and securing the donation of lots for road widening in the Junob-Bajumpandan road; the narrow road beside Foundation University that is perpendicular to Miciano Rd. and Colon Ext.; the road leading to the Taclobo spillway; the Metro Dumaguete Diversion road in Cadawinonan, among other road opening projects to help decongest traffic.
From July 1 last year to July 1 this year, the City Engineer’s Office implemented 38 infrastructure projects to include health centers, day care centers, school buildings, electrical facilities, and waterline systems in all the 30 barangays.
Forty-seven projects like concreting of roads, drainage systems, box culverts, flood control, dikes, seawalls, footbridges, sports facilities have also been fully implemented.
There are 27 on-going infrastructure projects amounting to P38 million, which will be completed in the next quarter of this year, Remollo said in a statement.
Construction of evacuation centers, drainage canals, roads, boulder dikes and other infrastructure projects have been completed or moving at a faster pace.
Meanwhile, major investors are currently finalizing their plans to jointly build and develop via Private-Public-Partnership or PPP to remodel the public market complex into a modern multi-storey air conditioned building with underground parking and waste water treatment facility.
Mayor Remollo also secured P50 million from the National Museum for the restoration of the City Hall to be converted into a regional museum.
The provincial government also allocated P 30 million for a multi-purpose building that will be located in the new government center.
Bidding for the lease of a CCTV system with 350 cameras for all 30 barangays will proceed as soon as the City Council approves Mayor Remollo’s request for funding.
Two garbage compactors and several trucks will be purchased to boost garbage collection, while negotiations for the lot where the sanitary landfill will be located is going in earnest, as Mayor Remollo reiterates his vow to shut down within three years the Candau-ay open dumpsite.
He has also directed a crackdown on illegal vendors, noisy mufflers, and undocumented drivers to boost road safety. Crimes and threats to peace and order have been kept low and at bay with the full cooperation of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Philippine Ports Authority, the Coast Guard, and barangay officials.
In good governance and transparency, the Commission on Audit has not issued a Notice of Disallowance against the current administration as the numerous transactions have been deemed above board.
Mayor Remollo also bared that he never asks for reimbursement for his official travels, to further save the City of its precious funds.
The Mayor chose not to avail of the P6 million intelligence fund, and instead used it to augment the budgets serving the welfare of the senior citizens, women, children, youth, and sports.
In his bid to turn the City into the next sports tourism hub in this part of the country, Mayor Remollo hosted the conduct of Unigames, the Regional Palaro, the Little League Philippines, the biggest ever Bangkarera national race, the Dragon Boat Race, and the launching of the play-and-learn sports every Saturday morning at Quezon Park. The free sessions were coordinated with the Philippine Sports Commission.
The Mayor also reported the City’s Sandurot entry winning 3rd place during the Sinulog Festival in Cebu.
For those seeking employment, Mayor Remollo has directed the unemployed to the Public Employment Service Office for job matching.
Mayor Remollo admitted there are many issues yet to be fully addressed but that the second year promises to be busy and more productive as he moves on from the planning phase to the full implementation of grand projects that would make Dumaguete into a livable, cultured, peaceful, and prosperous City. (PR)
