‘Green’ one-stop center tops Luigi’s plans

Mandaue City mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing

New City Hall building, gov’t center to start work next year; budget for infra also in agenda

Construction of a new Mandaue City Hall, a government park and Mandaue City’s improved finances were among the highlights of Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing’s State of the City Address (SOCA) yesterday.

The mayor told City Hall employees and department heads and elected city officials in attendance that the new Mandaue City Hall and a one-stop government center will be built at the old public market site.

The government center to be located behind the Mandaue City Sports Center, will house local and national government offices to ensure more efficient, streamlined services to the transacting public, Quisumbing said.

The mayor told reporters that he would also like to build a government park and a jogging track from one of the tennis courts at the Mandaue City Sports Center to make it presentable to the public.

“The park and boardwalk will make it inviting for the public to do transactions in the center,” Quisumbing said.

The old public market was destroyed in tremors caused by the 7.2 earthquake that rocked Bohol province in Oct. 15, 2013.

Construction may start in the first quarter of next year at a cost of more than P1 billion.

Quisumbing said they are now talking with partner financial institutions for a loan to fund the project.

“If it costs us a billion based on our initial talks with the bank, they are going to give us about 15 years to pay, which is about P100 million a year, which the city can definitely more than absorb,” he told reporters.

Quisumbing said the city’s tax revenues went up by 12 percent from the same period of last year.

“Today, cash on bank of P2.3 billion is on hand, making Mandaue City strong with liquid assets,” the mayor said.

The mayor said he envisions the government center to be one of the first green or eco-friendly government centers in Central Visayas which would be part of their commitment to fight climate change.

Quisumbing said the Mandaue Presidencia or the current Mandaue City Hall will be converted into the city’s heritage and culture center.

He said the second floor will be converted into a museum while its ground floor and rooms will be used for meetings and different functions.

The mayor said increased trust and confidence in Mandaue City’s fiscal status is shown by the Development Bank of the Philippines extending a standby loan of P1 billion and Landbank of the Philippines with another P1.5 billion to the city.

Quisumbing said his administration will increase infrastructure spending next year to include solutions to its traffic congestion.

He said Mandaue City will expand its role as a manufacturing hub in order to target global markets by 2020.

Quisumbing said they can accomplish this through strong private-public partnerships with stakeholders and the business community specifically the Mandaue City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).

He said the city government in partnership with MCCI will open the Mandaue Investment and Promotion Assessment Center (MIPAC) before the year ends.

“Aside from promoting Mandaue City as a preferred investment location, the MIPAC will also meet with investors in the processing of necessary permits to set up shop in the city,” Quisumbing said.