Latest Report to The City by the Mayor of Butuan

2008 State of the City Address

by City Mayor of Butuan

"Envisioning, Realizing, Empowering"

We Butuanons inherited a glorious past. At present, we are still striving hard for more development. Soon, we will come full circle, and redeem our place in history, to become the premier city of the future! Friends, Today, I am proud to report, that there are wide-scale infrastructure projects, new jobs, new homes, and a new sense of community. We are part of the super region that, we were destined to be. For us, this is an opportunity to reclaim our place, and revive a glorious history, that long preceded us, as we shape a future, that will long succeed us. Planned Development Along our way to development, we needed smart, planned and coordinated growth. In 2002, with former Mayor Leonides Theresa B. Plaza at the helm of government, our City Land Use Plan was approved.This plan identifies four growth areas, which now serves as our blueprint for development. As a catalyst for growth, the CLUP spawned a massive boom, in all aspects of development. My report will present the state of our Downtown, Newtown, Uptown and Seaport-Industrial zones, as well as the state of our countryside. Downtown Revitalization and urban renewal is taking shape in our Downtown, comprised of 27 urban barangays, and 4 urbanizing rural areas, clearly and magnificently conceptualized thru Architect Palafox’ urban design. With careful study, we complemented our development blueprint, with catalysts for growth, by putting up appropriate and massive infrastructure facilities, to launch economic activity. These include the construction of the state of the art Diosdado Macapagal Bridge, and Bypass-Road, and Magsaysay Viaduct, which took us almost 15 years of lobbying to the National Government, to be realized. The Diosdado Macapagal Bridge expands the City’s accessibility, and avoids the expected traffic congestion later on. For more than a hundred years, we lived in constant fear for our lives and properties, brought forth by the flooding of the mighty Agusan River With the east bank levee, and west bank levee and floodwalls protecting us, the long-suffering of the Butuanons, from the onslaught of huge floods, is hopefully, at an end. While the levee and floodwalls shield us, from the threat of the Agusan River, we still had to solve the flooding from within the City, which is below sea level. Our long-sought after solution, is our P1.2 billion Urban Drainage and Masao River Improvement Project, covering T. Calo, Mandacpan, Libertad to Masao areas, which drastically cuts down on street flooding, during heavy rains. If water overflows on the streets during high tide, this drains out in a matter of minutes after the rain. . . Our drainage problem was further addressed, through the P 632 million Banza River Dredging and Land Development Project, which helps to drain out water during high tide, or those coming from Davao and other areas. Incidentally, all structures have been turned over to the City for maintenance. These are sources of attraction in themselves, being unique to Butuan City. At present, you can now take a leisurely boat ride, through the scenic Mandacpan to Masao waterways. Of course, hand in hand with providing solutions to floods, is our input to improving transportation and accessibility. Starting out with few cemented urban roads, we now have 90 % of our main urban roads concreted. By 2010, we expect to have fully cemented roads in our urban areas. With urbanization comes a rising population. This has made necessary the implementation of the Butuan City Water Expansion project, which now provides water facilities all throughout our 86 Barangays. So with dependable electricity, which is now 100% available in all barangays. Travelling along North and South Montilla Boulevard is a pleasant experience with the beautification of our center islands, planted with ornamental plants and trees, placing of decorative pavers in the walkways, and installation of ornamental lamps and lampposts, with balangay boat motif. We do not just make Butuan a livable City, we also make it beautiful. As we try to improve our facilities, we enhance our government services. What better way to serve you, than in a modern City Hall Building that makes it convenient to transact business with the government? Coupled with systems improvement and computerization, our people can attest to better and more efficient services. From these investments totaling more than 6 billion, we saw Montilla Boulevard blossom into a vibrant neighborhood, while our old downtown districts along Marcos Calo, Villanueva, J. Flores, San Jose, and A. D. Curato streets, retained the charm of a busy and friendly hub of economic activity. . . We witnessed the growth of a new, busy commercial district along J.C. Aquino Avenue. We observed the increase in low-cost housing units in Villa Kananga and San Vicente, as well as the rise of executive homes for the up and coming middle and higher income classes. We enjoyed the extensive Bayantel Cruztelco, Philcom Smart Globe Suncellular communication facilities. We experienced the expansion and improvement of our old educational institutions such as Urios College, now turned Father Saturnino Urios University, Saint Joseph Institute of Technology, Butuan City Colleges and Agusan Colleges. Our young ones can now choose from among many exemplary preparatory schools, as well as recreation facilities. Our downtown revitalization makes it still, my friends, the busiest district in our City. Newtown The Newtown, located in Baan Km.3, Tiniwisan, Lemon, Antongalon, and Ampayon is dominated by institutional and industrial facilities, and housing development, traversed by landscaped waterways. Moving the area towards its envisioned destiny, we have exciting ongoing projects that include the 148 million D.O.P Regional Center and the now fully-operational 100 million Butuan Medical Center. In addition, there is more activity in existing neighborhoods underway, with the proposed conversion of Normisist to the University of Caraga, operation of the industrial plants for oil processing, prawn processing, dressing plants and banana chips factory. At present, we have Pepsi and Coca-Cola warehouses, that we expect to locate a plant in this area soon. We see prospects for the Newtown Area improve dramatically, with our dream of building the 12,000 seater City Coliseum, a striking combination of business, entertainment, and gathering space to serve the people of Butuan, in the next 20 years and beyond. Because of the Coliseum’s strategic presence in the Newtown District, we anticipate a bustling locality, in that area in near future, especially with the Initial Resettlement Area in Tiniwisan, the Lopez-Habitat and city government subdivisions in Amamaylan, Baan Km. 3, Ampayon, and Taguibo, and the establishment of the FILINVEST Homes, that will serve the high-end clientele. Uptown There is an upbeat tempo in our emerging uptown area, which serves as an alternate central business district, combined with leisure facilities and some institutional, commercial, residential and industrial locators. It is situated in Bancasi, Libertad and Bonbon With its uphill location, our building of concrete circumferential roads, is seen as the district’s jumpstarting factor for growth, encouraging the flourishing of amenities, that are now sources of anticipation. Added to which, we can look forward to the 644 million Airport expansion, that will enable us to serve the increasing influx of passengers. As of now, we have 3 regular daily flights during Tuesday to Thursday, and 4 during Monday, Friday Saturday and Sunday, in the Butuan-Manila route. We also have daily flights to Cebu with a total of 6 flights on Mondays and Fridays. . . These are all indicators that our progress is unstoppable. For as long as we are your servants, our quest for progress will continue. Seaport-Industrial Town areas Seaport-Industrial Town covering Masao, Lumbucan, Ambago and Babag will be a major port area. To launch its development, PPA has begun implementing the Masao Port Development Program Expansion. Another strategic plan is to construct through BOT or joint venture arrangement, the Butuan City Major Port, as approved by the President, with cost estimated at P7 billion . . . Our efforts to bring hallmark progress all across our urban areas have borne fruit. Exciting and rejuvenated new districts have sprung to life and continue to expand. Last year, we issued 1,800 new permits in construction activity that included residential, commercial, and industrial construction totaling P9.7M in financial input. New development in retail industry included small neighborhood shops and restaurants as well as new financial buildings. Throughout the City, homes continue to sell steadily, with new housing developments completed every year. Institutional advancement remains strong: Urios University is about to complete its Elementary and High School Department in Ambago. Saint Joseph Institute of Technology is also expanding in Villa Kananga with its more or less, 10,000 seater gymnasium, while our hospitals have also increased in capacity and specialization. And, there is more. Soon, we shall see the Riverine Development Project along the banks of the mighty Agusan River for our tourists, and a modern South Super Market in the southern part of the City. . . We are anticipating upcoming partners in development with the expected coming of the Robinson’s Mall. This is one of the most exciting and productive times in the history of Butuan. It is proof, of the confidence that all of us have, in the future of our City. COUNTRYSIDE DEVELOPMENT To balance the growth in our urban areas, we equipped our barangays with basic facilities to deliver effective governance: Barangay Halls, Health Centers, Day Care Centers and Covered Courts, amounting to P114 Million. We promised in the last elections, to cement 1-4 kilometers of rural roads, and 1-3 kilometers of urban roads every year. We delivered on that promise! Last year, we concreted roads measuring 1 km each, with drainage systems for Brgy. Dumalagan, Pigdaulan and Bonbon. This year, we will continue with another kilometer for Bonbon and Dumalagan. Concreting of roads for Bobon and Don Francisco will follow this year . . . In our urban areas, this year, we cemented roads and provided drainage to Hidalgo Village, in Libertad Pareja Subdivision, in Bayanihan Tamarind Road, in Dagohoy Bougainvillea, Blumenttrit and 4th Street in J. P. Rizal Rosales corner Montilla Blvd in Langihan The Circumferential Road in Ampayon and The main road of Emenville Subdivision We also improved drainage along Pili Drive and Narra Road, 1st Street in Guingona Subdivision, Butuan Resettlement Project in Doongan, and Balangayan Butuan in Pagatpatan. We will follow on, with concreting of roads in Orchid Street and Gumamela Street, as well as provide pavers and drainage along Bacolod Street where the Balangai Hotel is located. For food sufficiency, we pushed for irrigation projects. We now have the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)- Lower Agusan Development Project which services approximately 3,000 hectares of agricultural lands. . . To get our farm products efficiently into the market, we built farm to market roads, some of which were funded by the Department of Agriculture, totaling P36 M. 2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS We can see that the past years have been busy for us. 2007 was no different, as we made sure that our communities are safe, have good schools and access to opportunities and a high quality of life. For Peace and Order Thus, we wage a constant battle against criminality. Our crime volume is way below that of other similar -sized cities. Over the past years, we were able to increase police presence, by providing additional vehicles for mobility, and keeping civilian forces to help watch over our communities. Aside from relocating families living in danger zones, May last year, we opened our Disaster Management Operations Center, the city’s nerve center in a catastrophe. For economic development Now it's time to take the next steps forward by ensuring our position as a regional hub of commerce and a tourism destination. Last year, we launched the Agusan River Eco-Tourism Demonstration Project, as our springboard for a tourism-focused development, which will culminate in the construction of the Butuan Historical Park, to jumpstart development of our riverbank areas into a recreation, livelihood, and tourism area, and to serve as showcase center for products developed through the One Barangay One Product program. Weaving through the Butuan Waterfront is the river cruise, which will be launched anytime this year. We have created a positive environment for our private investors through attractive taxation schemes, facilitated business permit processing, and strong promotional strategies. We will also unveil our 9 historical sites, which will be the focal point for our tourism industry, namely, the Bood Promontory, the Regional Museum, Banza Church Ruins, Rizal Park, Bonbon Shell Midden, Balangay Shrine Museum, Magellan’s Anchorage, Suatan Burial Site . . . And the Mt. Mayapay Reforestation Project . . . As the Regional Center, we will take the lead in the regional celebration of the Calagan Festival. For our livelihood development, we have earmarked P15M for the cooperatives of our 86 barangay. . . On Social Development We are also making unprecedented investments in social services. We have always believed that we should not be squatters in our own land. That is why, we are engaged in the biggest affordable shelter program ever undertaken by any city in the country, with more than 100 subdivisions catering to over 10,000 families. With the Balangayan Butuan Shelter Program in Pagatpatan and Mahay, more than a thousand houses have been built, 1,267 families from the riverbanks have been relocated, 3 big partners, the Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity, and the Kadiyawan Inc. have put their stakes, financial and social inputs, into the program. This year, Kadiyawan, Inc., with assistance from the Philippine Congregation of Evangelical Churches, headed by Bishop Ephraim Tendero, is set to build 300 more houses in Mahay New Villages, while Father Saturnino Urios University, through Gawad Kalinga, will be building 24 houses. While we take care of our families, we give love to our elders. Our Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, with more or less 15,000 members, and the OSCA Geriacare Center looked after 2,265 OSCA members, who availed last year of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, eye screening, cataract operation, bone and prostate screening, aside from benefiting from their senior citizen cards. . . Our young are also not left behind as we provide the Lingap Center for our street children and other programs for the differently-abled. On Gender Equality Our women also take the forefront, with the launching of the Women and Children Crisis Center to address the concerns of women, especially those who are battered or abused. On Health We continue to look after our people’s health needs, extending assistance, through Phil Health Para sa Masa Insurance membership, to almost 10,000 underprivileged families of Butuan. On Education We saw schools mushroom all over the City. This is important as schools are the breeding ground of new ideas, new talent and new jobs. In response, we continue to provide scholarships to poor but deserving students through our city and barangay scholarship programs. As of 2007, we already have 293 scholar graduates.. . But while I am convinced of the need to emphasize education and encourage our youth to take college education, we must advance vocational education, and place more emphasis on job training programs. Thus, our Butuan City Manpower Training Center provides skills training to 14 batches, totaling 556 graduates. Meanwhile, the Public Employment Service Office or PESO conducts job marketing as well as provides financial assistance thru our fly now pay later program to overseas work applicants. With these efforts, we have helped 3,517 Butuanons find jobs locally and abroad. Last year alone, 29 Butuanons were deployed to Hongkong, Singapore, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Italy and the United States. Our goal is education for all, and that includes the differently –abled children, street children and children of the ethnic groups. For them, we have the award-winning TAWAG, Kangyatan Hong Kabataan and the Madrasah classes. To provide a holistic development, we revived our city sports program and launched the Pabibo sa Barangay which has become an effective venue for developing the love of sports among young individuals, right at the grassroots level. On the Environment Another area affecting quality of life in Butuan relates to waste disposal. I recently passed an executive order for the establishment this year of garbage pick-up points and mandatory construction of compost pits by every household. . . Serving our Customers Keeping pace with all these developments, is our enhanced customer service, creating an open, responsive and accessible government, that serves all of our constituents, regardless of their economic status. In our barangay visitations we bring city services out to where people live. At the same time, we are actively implementing ordinances, crafted by our Sangguniang Panlungsod , ensuring our orderly development. Moving forward As we move onward, we will be implementing more projects that will further enhance our services. Our next step in effective governance, is to construct the SP building to complement our City Hall. Just last month, we have approved an additional P3,128,463.39 for our energization program to provide electricity to the most remote sitios in 9 barangays, namely: Camayahan Barangay Site; Purok 8, Mayapay: Purok Damayan, Lumbocan; Purok 2 and 4, Mandamo; Purok 5, Maibu, Sto Nino; and Purok 4, Sumilihon. Also, we shall have a reassessment of our Real Property Taxation to reflect the real value of our land as a result of development. Next, we will move on to privatization of Garbage Collection, the Butuan Medical Center, the Motorpool and the City Economic Enterprise which include the Public Market, Public Cemetery and Slaughterhouse, because I believe that the private sector has the capability to carry out a successful privatized service delivery campaign. We look forward to a robust tourism industry that will bring more income to barangays, to our private investors, and to the City. Finally, we have targeted that by 2010, our city income shall have reached the 1 billion mark. A legacy for people Friends, Centuries before, we carved a niche in our country’s history. We are fortunate to have inherited such a rich legacy. But, we are also responsible for living up to that heritage. As Butuan City continues to grow, we must look back to the past, as we head on to a great future. Along the way, we must always make sure that everyone feels welcome and safe; is given opportunity; partakes in our economic benefits, and benefits from our social services. In short, each and every Butuanon enjoys quality of life. It is a tremendous accomplishment, and a gift to generations to come. With God’s blessings and guiding hand as our constant support and anchor, we know that we are following the right path. Fellow Butuanons, I appeal to you, to further strengthen our patriotism. Be proud to be a Butuanon, because 1,688 years ago, there was no Philippines, but there was Butuan. Thank you and madiyaw nga hapon kanato nga tanan.