ULAT SA
BAYAN
Honorable
City Mayor Japal J. Guiani, Jr.
1st
Quarter of 2011
30 March
2011
·
Honorable members of the Sangguniang
Panlungsod
·
Fellow workers in government
·
Fellow Cotabateños
·
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good
morning!
You have
just seen the numerous hidden talents of Cotabateños. We know that they be
great if given the break for their talents to be discovered. Who knows? They
could be someday be joining the “Pilipinas Got Talent” and eventually shine as
singing stars.
Let us
just hope and pray that someday these singers will help bring the name of
Cotabato City to the world headlines through their talents.
Thank you
very much to our talented and beautiful singers!
Let us now
proceed with the business of the day.
It has
been nine months since you gave me the task of being your City Mayor.
I still
remember the day when assumed office. It was very difficult because I also
inherited and assumed the gargantuan task of finding ways and means on how to
pay the enormous debts and payables of the City Government.
The
outstanding payables of the City Government was P28,180,206.96 as of June 30,
2010.
Some 9.6
million pesos pertains to expenses that were obligated but were not paid. Most
of these expenses fall under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses which
have accumulated since January 2010.
The City
Government also owed the Bureau of Internal Revenue some 2.9 million pesos. It
represents the withholding tax deducted from the employees’ salaries, value
added taxes withheld from city government transactions with private entities.
On the
other hand, the City Government also had a non-remitted amount of 7.3 million
pesos to the Government Service Insurance System or GSIS representing the
premiums and loan amortization of the employees.
With the
Pag-IBIG Funds, the City Government had an un-remitted amount of 3.1 million
pesos and more than 600 thousand pesos to the Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation or PhilHealth.
The 30
percent Barangay Share on Community Tax and Real Property Tax amounting to more
than 327 thousand pesos were not distributed to the city’s 37 barangays.
We were
also surprised to learn that the city’s General Fund Statement of Cash Flow
incurred a negative balance as of June 30, 2010.
The
Account 969 of the Office of the City Mayor had an approved annual
appropriation of 8 million pesos. However, as of June 30, 2010, the actual
disbursements made reached P8,763,181.77 or an over expenditure of
P4,763,181.77 as against the allotted amount of 4 million pesos for the period.
The expenditure also exceeded the total annual appropriation by P763,181.77.
On this
account, we had to request the Sangguniang Panlungsod for an augmentation in
order to sustain the operation of the Office of the City Mayor for the
remaining two quarters of 2010.
Likewise,
Account 783 of the Office of the City Mayor which had an appropriation of
P2,750,000.00 for the first six months of 2010 incurred a disbursement of
P3,864,381.00 or an excess expenditure of P1,114,381.00.
The
appropriation for donations under Account 878 also incurred an over expenditure
of P478,759.05.
Moreover,
then Intelligence Fund under Account 881 also had an over expenditure of
P1,970,000.00.
Fortunately,
we were able to pay a large portion of the debts. Thanks to the efforts of the
employees of the City Government to increase our revenues so that we could pay
these debts.
During my
first week in office, I issued Executive Order No. 1 creating the Financial
Management Team for the city’s Economic Enterprises. This was headed by the
City Treasurer.
We do
recognize the operation of these Public Economic Enterprises such as our two
public markets, the slaughterhouse and other heavy equipment owned by the City
Government as vital components in generating revenues and provide quality
services and facilities for the welfare of our people and help spur economic
development.
As a
result, the Mega Market and the City Central Arcade showed a lot of
improvements in terms of revenue collection, sanitation and management.
The
revenue collection from stall fees, cash tickets and Business License from the
Mega Market reached 8.5 million pesos as compared to the 2009 income of 7.3
million pesos or an increase of 16.27 percent.
This is
something significant considering that the City Government had been subsidizing
the operation of the Mega Market during the past years.
For the
first two months of 2011, the Mega Market has already posted an income of more
than 3.8 million pesos or already 44.53 percent as against its 2010 annual
income.
As for the
City Central Arcade, despite the fire that destroyed some of the peripheral
stalls, it was able to overcome its financial problems. As of February 2011, we
have fully paid our loan amortization with the Land Bank of the Philippines
which was used in the construction of the City Central Arcade.
In fact,
during the first two months of 2011, the City Central Arcade already posted an
income of more than one million pesos. This is already 27.85 percent as
compared to its 2010 income.
We are
optimistic that we can surpass its 2010 income the moment the reconstruction of
the burnt peripheral stalls is completed. The reconstruction work has already
started and we expect it to be completed before the end of the second quarter.
On the
market upkeep and sanitation, we cleared the Mega Market and the City Central
Arcade of illegal stalls and shanties.
We have
made it a policy of sustaining the clearing operation and clean-up activities
on a regular basis. Likewise, we were able to implement the proper sectioning
of the stalls, particularly at the ground floor of the Mega Market.
Moreover,
we have reactivated the Consumer Welfare Desk. In fact, we have just purchased
three units of electronic digital weighing scales for the Timbangan ng Bayan.
This aims to help protect the welfare of the consumer against the possible use
of defective and substandard weighing scales by some unscrupulous market
vendors. Along this line, we would like to remind these unscrupulous market
vendors that the City Government will never anymore tolerate them and we are
ready to slap the stiffest penalty on them.
As for the
Operation of the Slaughterhouse, the year 2010 was a good year after it posted
a 10 percent increase in collection, as the negative 10 percent in 2009.
Pursuant
to our desire to make our city slaughterhouse comply with the standards set by
the National Meat Inspection Service and the need to have a Halal-certified
slaughterhouse, I issued Executive Order No. 28 creating a Study Group for the
Establishment of a Halal Slaughterhouse and the Rehabilitation of the Existing
Cotabato City Slaughterhouse and the Viability of Transferring it to a New
Location.
In another
positive development, the City Government posted a very big increase last year
in the collection of Business Taxes and Licenses. We had a total collection of
more than 47 million pesos last year. This is 21.95 percent higher compared to
the 2009 collection of merely 39 million pesos. [flash Business Taxes &
Licenses slide]
During the
first two months of 2011, we already have posted a collection from Business
Taxes and Licenses amounting to more than 29 million pesos. This is already
38.89 percent compared to the total annual collection last year. We are
optimistic that we will surpass our previous year’s collection record before
the end of the third quarter this year.
If we
include all the other fees collected by the Permits and License Division of the
Office of the City Mayor, the city earned more than 62 million pesos last year,
up by 16.99 percent as compared to the 2009 collection of merely 53 million
pesos.
This
early, I can say that we can also post a further increase in our revenue
collections this year. It is because during the first two months of this year,
the License Division has already posted a combined collection of 37.5 million
pesos.
Another
source of revenue for the City Government is the collection of Transfer Fees
and Administrative Fines by the City Assessor’s Office.
In 2010,
the City Assessor’s Office collected P1,749,382.90 in Transfer Fees. This is
149 percent over its target of P700,000.00. On the other hand, a total of
P173,635.00 was collected from Administrative Fines. This is 73 percent over
its target of P100,000.00.
On the
aspect of Real Property Tax collection, it was very noticeable that the
collection efficiency ratio was very low in contrast to the estimated amount of
taxes to be collected. In view thereof, we introduced major changes in our
approach to increase our Real Property Tax collection.
Last year,
we posted an 8.7 percent increase in Real Property Tax collection or 11.1
million pesos as compared to the 10.9 million pesos collected in 2009.
However,
this collection record is way below our expectation. Though we posted a
collection efficiency of 36.89 percent, the accumulated amount of delinquent
Real Property Taxes is still high.
As of
December 31, 2010, the cumulative uncollected taxes for the General Fund and
the Special Education Fund amounted to P92,622,448.60. [flash P92,622,448.60
slide]
In order
to negate the increasing amount of delinquent real property tax, the Local
Finance Committee has started formulating strategies to enhance the collection
of real property taxes. Soon we will submit their recommendations to the
Sangguniang Panlungsod for the appropriate legislative action.
However,
despite this meager collection, we were ranked second by the Bureau of Local
Government Finance among local government units in Region 12 in terms of Real
Property Tax collection for 2010. We were only second to General Santos City.
Because of
this, the City Government of Cotabato was awarded a Plaque of Recognition by
the BLGF during the annual general assembly of the Regional Association of
Treasurers and Assessors of Region 12 held last March 24 in Davao City.
As I have
said during the awarding ceremony, we will strive hard this year to be the
number one in Region 12 in terms of Real Property Tax collection.
I know
that we can do it.
If we can
do it, surely we will be reclassified from being a third class city to become a
first class city again after how many years.
Meanwhile,
to complement our Real Property Tax collection efforts, we organized the Task
Force on Agricultural Real Properties. Among the functions of the Task Force
are:
Identify
all agricultural lands in the city and determine their actual use;
Submit
recommendations on legal actions to be taken against owners of agricultural
real properties which were converted to other purposes without the approval of
the Sangguniang Panlungsod and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board;
Identify
fishpond operators granted with Fishpond Lease
Agreements
(FLA) by the national government.
On the
field of food production, the City Government has embarked on a number of
projects aimed at increasing the productivity of our agriculture and fishery
sector. This is in the face of the reality that our city is not self-sufficient
in food. We source our daily food supplies from outside the city.
Since July
2010, we have a continuing program to extend technical assistance to our
fishpond operators and fishermen mostly at the Kalanganan area. Technical
assistance are continually being extended to our rice farmers.
Among our
major accomplishments in our thrust to increase our agricultural and fishery
productions are:
Dispersal
of crablets to 87 fishpond operators;
Bangus
Fingerlings Dispersal to 332 beneficiaries;
Hybrid
Tilapia Fingerlings Dispersal to 123 beneficiaries
Aside from
these, the City Government also gave out assorted vegetable seeds to 16 agricultural
barangays, three non-agricultural barangays and three community-based
associations.
To spur
economic development, the City Government, in coordination with the Department
of Trade and Industry, formally opened the National Economic Research and
Business Assistance Center or NERBAC last September 15, 2010.
NERBAC,
composed of various national line agencies, is a one-stop investment research
and assistance center designed to help new investors.
Meanwhile,
to turn the tons of water hyacinths clogging our rivers into profit, the City
Government together with the Department of Trade and Industry started last
September the training of 22 housewives on how to make handicraft materials out
of these plants.
Talks are
underway with a group of handicraft exporters in Manila and Laguna to help us
export our water hyacinth-based products.
On the Health
Sector, we are proud to report that an estimated 94.6 percent of our total
household population now has access to safe water supply. Only the barangays of
Tamontaka 3, 4, 5 and Kalanganan 1 and 2 remains to have no access to potable
water.
Based on
arbitrary estimates, about 70 percent of the total number of households in the
city has access to sanitary toilets and 75 percent have satisfactory facilities
for the disposal of solid wastes. Actual survey of these facilities will be
conducted this year to come up with a realistic statistics.
Meanwhile,
diarrhea and other food and water-borne diseases like typhoid and para-typhoid
diseases prevailed among the leading causes of morbidity in 2010. These were
followed by respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and asthma. [flash Morbidity
slide]
Lifestyle
diseases also ranked among the leading causes of morbidity. Hypertension was in
fact the second leading cause of hospitalization.
The
emerging concern is kidney diseases. It showed an increasing trend from only
137 cases in 2009 to 287 incidence in 2010.
On the
other hand, TB cases dropped from 206 in 2009 to only 113 in 2010.
While the
rest of the country reported high incidence of dengue fever, Cotabato City
registered only 209 cases in 2010, slightly lower than the 215 cases reported
in 2009. Unfortunately, it claimed two lives of school-going children last
year.
For 2011,
our major thrusts on the Health sector are:
·
Operationalization of the 3 pilot
BEmONCs to provide quality maternal care, neo-natal services and birthing
facilities to prospective mothers, post-partum mothers and new born infants.
·
PhilHealth accreditation of our City
Health facilities. This will include upgrading of the Office on Health Services
as a Main Health Center or its possible relocation to a better site and other
existing centers such as the prospective BEmONCs and the provision of adequate
medical, dental and administrative equipment.
·
Advocacy for 100 percent PhilHealth
insurance coverage of the city constituents.
·
Strengthening of the City
Epidemiological Surveillance Unit for constant vigilance to emerging infectious
diseases and control or prevent outbreaks and epidemics.
·
Improved Environmental Sanitation
services to include the needed baseline survey of the people’s access to basic
sanitation facilities such as safe water, sanitary toilets and satisfactory
garbage facilities.
·
Continuing and intensified Health
personnel capability building through trainings.
Aside from
these, we have included in our 2011 Annual Development Plan the allocation of
one million pesos as seed money to cover the hospitalization expenses of
indigent residents at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center. The Memorandum
of Agreement for this is now being drafted and we will submit it to the
Sangguniang Panlungsod for approval.
In other
developments, our personnel from the Office on Social Welfare and Development
Services were very busy last year.
The Social
Development Center (SDC) of the OSWDS accommodated and housed a total of 72
clients last year. They were provided with basic needs while staying at the
Center. House parents were employed to take care of housekeeping and cleaning
of the Center. Because of tracing and coordination efforts, 21 children were
already returned to their families.
By the
way, we would like to thank the Rotary Club of Cotabato for their untiring
support to our Social Development Center. Last
December,
they donated assorted foodstuffs to augment the clients’ welfare requirement of
the Center.
Other
major accomplishments of the Office on Social Welfare included:
·
44 community-based street children who
returned to school were given school supplies like notebooks and school bags.
·
20 indigent in-school children were
provided educational assistance of P1,500 per child for their school needs.
·
933 community-based street children
were given interventions like supplemental feeding, value formation and medical
assistance.
·
Three rugby users were referred to the
Marcellin Foundation in General Santos City for rehabilitation in preparation
for their reintegration into the normal social mainstream. The City Government
provided each child P3,000 monthly subsidy while undergoing rehabilitation.
·
37 street educators were provided a
monthly allowance of P1,000.
By the
last quarter of 2010, we launched the UNICEF-assisted project on Family Tracing
and Reunification (FTR) Program for street children. The amount of P928,176.00
was initially downloaded for the implementation of the program. This is a one
year program which includes hiring of eight duly-licensed social workers who
will be working on street children, capability-building training, transportation
and cellphone load allowance of the workers as well as emergency support for
direct beneficiaries.
Early this
month, the City Social Welfare and Development Office received vital kits to be
distributed and used by the qualified street children and their families who
are residents of the city.
The
Educational Kit consisting of 75 sets of learning materials are geared towards
helping the studying children cope up with their school needs. Elementary
school children kits cost P1,216.00 while high school kits cost P1,625.00.
The Family
Kit consisting of 75 kitchen packages and other equipment are intended to help
their respective families in forging new life ahead upon reunification and
ultimately avoid separation. The kit costs P7,331.00 and will be distributed
based on the assessment and recommendation of the FTR Social Worker.
On the
other hand, sports and recreation kits were purchased and made available to the
barangays or communities with ample recreational spaces. The sporting goods and
equipment cost P15,632.00, while the recreational materials and equipment
consisting of books, musical instruments, board games and similar items cost
P31,423.00.
In the
furtherance of the Early Childhood Care and Development Program, the City
Government operates 60 Day Care Centers. Last year, we renovated or repaired 33
of these Day Care Centers. Six other Day Care Centers are under construction.
As part of
the continuing intervention to the persons with disability sector, the City
Government extended loan assistance to 30 PWDS at P5,000 each. They are now
engaged in micro-enterprise business activities to augment their family
earnings. Some of the projects pursued are sari-sari stores, cell phone
loading, fruit vending and food vending.
To support
the indigent persons with disability in their school needs, a total of 50 PWD
students received P2,000 each as educational assistance.
To attend
to the welfare of our senior citizens, the City Government has appropriated
this year the amount of P240,000.00 for the repair and renovation of the Senior
Citizens Model Center.
Moreover,
the amount of P48,000.00 was allocated for purposes of loan assistance to 16
beneficiaries at P3,000 each. This will be used by the senior citizens in their
income-generating or livelihood projects.
On the
other hand, the City Government has appropriated P100,000.00 as support to the
Bahay Maria Foundation to augment the basic needs of its residents.
Under the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps, Cotabato has been identified as
target area by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Barangay
Kalanganan Mother and Barangay Poblacion Mother are the target area by the
program. A total of 1,421 families were identified. Each indigent family with
three pre-school children will receive a maximum monthly allowance of
P1,400.00.
Also last
year, the Office on Social Welfare was very busy for the Pamaskong Handog
program of the City Government. After about a decade, we revived the year-end
tradition of giving gifts to our indigent constituents.
A total of
11,000 indigent families were given gifts which consisted of assorted grocery
items.
From now
on, this year-end gift giving activity will be a regular undertaking of the
City Government.
In the
field of Infrastructure Development, the City Engineering Office will soon be
completing the following projects:
·
Concreting of the road connecting
Sinsuat Avenue and Notre Dame Village thru Virgo Subdivision;
·
Concreting of Moon Street at Zenaida
Subdivision;
·
Improvement of Tulingan Street leading
towards Usman Subdivision;
·
Construction of the Flood Control and
Drainage System along Rabago Street;
·
Declogging of Manday River and
Lugay-Lugay River;
·
Renovation of the two Day Care Centers
at Barangay Rosary Heights 10.
For 2011,
we will improve the roads leading to our garbage dump site at Camasi, including
the Camasi Bridge. [flash 2011 Infra Projects slide]
To
mitigate flooding in low-lying areas of the city, we will continue with the
de-clogging of our waterways.
To
beautify the city, we will be embarking on a major beautification and
landscaping of our People’s Palace, the City Plaza and the Tantawan Park. This
is also aimed at attracting tourist to our city.
Relative
thereto, we have formally recognized the newly-organized Cotabato City Tourism
Promotion Board headed by Architect Marlo Basco.
The
Tourism Promotion Board will be primarily charged with the responsibility to
encourage, promote and develop tourism in the city.
The Board
is composed almost entirely of representatives from the private sector. The
City Government will only have two representatives to the Board which can vote
but cannot be voted.
The annual
Mutya ng Kutabato pageant will now be handled by the Tourism Promotion Board.
We know that the private sector is more capable and efficient to handle said activity.
To address
our growing garbage problem and in line with our program of environmental
protection, the Task Force on Solid Waste Management was created.
The Task
Force is the lead team in the enforcement of solid waste management related
laws and the strengthening of information, education and communication campaign
of the City Government on solid waste management.
The Task
Force had been very busy conducting orientations to our barangay officials
about solid waste management.
By the
way, effective April 1, the City Government will begin strict implementation of
the “No Segregation, No Collection” Policy. This means that our garbage
collectors will not pick up your garbage unless they are segregated among
biodegradable and non-biodegradable, and placed in separate containers or
plastic bags.
The
barangays will be at the forefront in the implementation of this policy. Those
who refuse to comply will be dealt with accordingly.
If we want
to protect our environment and maintain the cleanliness of our city, every one
of us has a responsibility. We will not only be making our city a better place
to live in, more so we will be helping reduce the spread of diseases caused by
improper garbage disposal.
We will
intensify our “War Against Waste.”
In other
developments, to guide us in the formulation of our development plans and
programs from 2011 to 2013, we have finalized the Executive-Legislative Agenda.
The recommendations contained therein have been forwarded to the Sangguniang
Panlungsod for their appropriate action.
To help us
in our desire to realize our socialized housing project, the Ayala Land
Corporation, through its sister company AMAIA Land Corporation, has extended a
financial assistance of P990,000.00 for the initial development of 330 lots at
the Housing Village for City Government Employees at Malagapas. The amount is
intended for the survey and titling of the lots.
This is a
landmark achievement considering that a follow-through assistance is in the
offing as there is a standing commitment from Ayala Lands to extend additional
financial assistance for the initial development of the Malagapas Resettlement
Site Phase 2 and for the on-site development of the proposed resettlement site
at the former Doruelo Estate at Barangay Kalanganan Mother. Among other things,
it will include the preparation of a subdivision scheme.
Relative
to the realization of the City Employees Village, this representation sought
for the modification of the qualifications of recipients in order to give due
credence to the judicious manner of awarding the lots to qualified employees.
One major modification is that only rank and file employees are qualified or
those with salary below Salary Grade 25. Elected officials are not qualified.
Talking of
the welfare of our employees, effective last January we increased the salaries
of our contractual nurses. Not only the nurses. Even our Traffic Aides now have
higher salaries than ever before.
As for the
regular and plantilla personnel, the second tranche of our salary increase will
be retroactive January. We hope to put it in effect and release your
differentials the moment the Sangguniang Panlungsod approves our annual budget
and it will be confirmed by the Department of Budget and Management.
Last
December we had our annual Family Day and Year-End Thanksgiving Party. All work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It
means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring.
With
regards to the management of the assets of the City Government, I have signed
Executive Order No. 40 directing for the inventory and titling of lots and
other legally acquired real properties of the City Government. This Real
Property Task Force is also tasked to resolve the transfer of existing
unperfected donations or sale of lots and facilitate the titling in the name of
the City Government.
This Task
Force will be closing working with the Task Force on road Right-of-Way which we
created earlier.
The Task
Force on Road Right-of-Way is now busy clearing our roads of illegal
encroachments. We want to instill law and order in our city and we do not want
that any portions of our public roads are being used by unscrupulous
individuals for their own person benefit.
For 2011,
the City Government has a number of plans and programs to be undertaken
designed to alleviate the condition of our people, improve our peace and order
condition, and accelerate economic development.
We now
have in our Annual Development Plan a Soft Loan Assistance Program for small
economic enterprises. An initial amount of one million pesos has been earmarked
for this.
For peace
and order, the proposed installation of CCTV surveillance camera system is
expected to be in place in the next 45 days. The Pre-Bid Conference for the
project is set on April 1 and the Awarding of Bid will be on April 15. These
CCTV cameras will be installed in high crime-prone areas of the city. This is
just the first phase of our vision to install CCTV cameras in every corner of
our city.
We are
optimistic that with the installation of these CCTV cameras, we will be able to
dramatically reduce the crime incidence in the city.
Also in a
few days, we will be reactivating the Police 166 Hotline. The police had their
166 hotline before, but it was disconnected due to limited budget from the
Philippine National Police.
From now
on, the City Government will be shouldering the cost of maintaining the Police
166 Hotline.
We will
also further support and improve the crime-capabilities of our other law
enforcement agencies in the city.
With the
deployment of the Philippine Marines, we have seen improvements in our peace
and order condition, this is despite the still unresolved abduction of Adin Yu.
Along this
line, let us all continue to pray for the safe return of Adin Yu.
As I have
promised during my first 100 days report that I will wage war against all forms
of criminalities, including these notorious kidnap-for-ransom gangs, we now
have in our city a detachment of elite elements of the Police Anti-Crime and
Emergency Response Team or PACER.
The end is
near for these criminal elements.
To further
improve the crime fighting capability of our law enforcers, the City Government
has provided them with handheld radio communication equipment.
Even the
Bureau of Fire Protection also received assistance by the City Government. By
the way, we would like to thank the Bureau of Fire Protection for their
continued support to our weekly cleaning activity at the Mega Market.
Likewise,
we also will not forget our barangays. On April 1, the pre-bid conference for
the purchase of 25 units of multi-cabs for the use of the barangays has been
set. We expect that these multi-cabs will be delivered within 45 days. After
the delivery of these 25 units, we will immediately source out funds for the
purchase of the other 12 units so that we could provide each of our 37
barangays with additional transport equipment.
Also, next
week the Barangay Captains will be sitting down with officials of the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA in order to identify which
of the various TESDA training programs are suited to the needs of their
respective barangays.
After this
meeting next week with TESDA, the Barangay Captains will also be having a
similar meeting with officials of the Department of Science and Technology on
the third week of April. The purpose of which is to identify the potentials of
their respective barangays which could be developed assisted by the DOST.
We believe
that once these projects are realized, our unemployment rate will dramatically
drop and the economic status of our people will improve.
Meanwhile,
to further entice investors to our city, we will soon be submitting to the
Sangguniang Panlungsod proposed amendments to the Investment Code designed to
give added incentives to investors, particularly investments that are
classified as eco-friendly and tourism-oriented.
We
strongly believe that our city has the potentials to attract investments. This
has been clearly manifested with the multi-million-peso investment of one of
our local businessman. Accordingly, the Al Nor Business and Sports Complex will
be opening in time for our celebration of the Araw ng Cotabato on June.
On Friday,
another popular fastfood chain will open its doors in the city. The famous Mang
Inasal has now a branch along S.K. Pendatun Avenue.
Also this
year, another popular fastfood chain will be opening another branch in the
city. Likewise, a group of investors have already manifested their intent to
put up business here this year. Their line of business is school and office
supplies, including a bookstore and sports equipment.
To
preserve the richness of our cultural heritage, we will be establishing this
year the “School of the Living Arts.”
The
purpose of which is the preservation and promotion of our varied cultural
heritage. Teaching lessons will be given on how to play the kulintang and other
ethnic musical instruments of the different tribal communities in the area.
Ethnic dance lessons will also be propagated.
This
School of the Living Arts will be under the City Tourism Office, in
coordination with the Department of Education and the Tourism Promotion Board.
Also as
part of our thrust to promote Cotabato City worldwide, we have reactivated the
city’s website and changed its name. http://www.cotabatocity.net.ph
The
rationale in the change of domain name is that this will not anymore be the
exclusive website of the City Government of Cotabato. All Cotabateños are
invited to link with this website.
Along this
line, I would like to reiterate our invitation to all business establishments,
institutions, civic and non-government organizations to post with this website.
Our InfoTech Division will soon post in this website the list of hotels and
restaurants in the city, indicating their services, rates and contact details.
Before I
close, I hope that I have reported to you all the things you wanted to know
about how the City Government is doings its job.
I know
that we still have a long way to go in the realization of our vision for a
peaceful, progressive and beautiful Cotabato City.
Thank you
and wassalam!
