A toast to the mayor of QC

Business and civic leaders reaffirmed the other night their full support to the vision and efforts of Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to make Quezon City a "quality city."

The commitment of support was declared by leaders of various groups during a testimonial dinner in honor of Belmonte held at a jam-packed Celebrity Sports Plaza ballroom.

Nathan Zulueta, president of the Quezon City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCCI) vowed to work closely with Belmonte as he paid tribute to the mayor for the improvements in the city.

"Quezon City, or QC, now stands for quality city under the quality leadership or our honoree tonight. The transformation of Quezon City into a quality city has begun," Zulueta said.

The business leader said he is proud "to be a citizen of the richest and most livable city, to do business in the most business friendly city and to be working closely with the most outstanding mayor in the country."

He noted that with the harvest of awards in local governance, Belmonte has set a culture of excellence and a passion for a continuous effort to improve not only infrastructure, but also the upliftment of the lives of the poor residents of the city.

"This tribute is suited for the visionary who saw it before it happened, for the architect that created the template for this wonderful success, for a passionate manager that made sure teams are working toward a common end," Zulueta said.

Jess Cifra, president of the Quezon City Subdivisions Owners Association, Leonido Ortiz, Philippine National Red Cross governor, Charles Chen, president of the Quezon City Filipino Chinese Association, Cecille Patricio, vice president of SM Holdings and Dante de Guzman also echoed the same sentiments in their tribute. – Perseus Echeminada