Mandaue City: Cebu's next economic driver

Mandaue City is now positioning itself as the next economic driver of Cebu under the administration of Mayor Thadeo Ouano.

Ouano, who was commended by the City Council for a job well done through a measure initiated by his sister-foe Jovita, gladly reported his accomplishments for the past years during his State of the City Address yesterday at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

The mayor said the remarkable performance of the city's economy has raised its revenues to P545 million last year from only P400 million in 2001. This year, the city is targeting to raise P608 million revenues.

He said the entry of more investments and the continued trust showed by the business sector strengthened the city's position to become the convention center of the south.

The local chief executive, in his 18-page SOCA, reported that the city's business sector has achieved a 14-percent growth rate per year, adding that last year's gross receipts reached P72 billion from P64 billion in 2004.

With increasing business establishments and revenues that have helped the city improve the delivery of basic services to its inhabitants, Ouano recognized the city's top corporate business, corporate realty and individual taxpayers.

The 10 top city corporate business taxpayers are Visayan Electric Company, Vismin Food Corporation, Monde Nissin biscuits Corp., San Miguel Corp., Pilipinas Makro, Aboitiz Construction Group, Inc., United Laboratories, Inc, Energizer Philippines, Inc, Vic Enterprises and Excellency Appliance Technology, Inc.

The 10 top city corporate realty taxpayers are San Miguel Corp., Beverage Packaging Specialist Inc., Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils. Inc., Taipan Development Corp., Vel-Ouano Realty, Inc., Mandaue Realty and Resources Corp., Pilipinas Makro, Inc., Cenapro Inc., Norkis Trading Company, Inc., and Shemberg Marketing Corp.

The 10 top individual taxpayers in the city are King Kee Ko, James Yu, Raymund Ong, Daniel Antolijao, Erramon Aboitiz, Jose Alvarez, Katsumi Onda, Euberto Go, Hyman Yap and Dale Garcia.

Ouano said that all these positive indicators should translate to a better, more effective and efficient delivery of basic services to the people.

"As we continue on through the last year of our governance, I wish that my fellow city officials will move on together, pursue the task of city-building and forget self-interest but think of the best interest for the city and the Mandauehanons that we swore to serve," Ouano said in his 45-minute speech - Mitchelle P. Calipayan