Valenzuela celebrates 6th cityhood anniversary

Valenzuela City celebrates its sixth anniversary as a highly urbanized city in a weeklong run starting today, Feb. 14, by honoring the city’s top 10 taxpayers and its young environmentalists, among others.

City Mayor Jose Emmanuel "Bobbit" Carlos delivers his Ulat sa Bayan detailing his accomplishments since the start of his first term in 1995 up to his third and last term this year.

A thanksgiving Mass to be officiated by most Rev. Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, kicks off the festivities. Other activities highlighting the celebration include the groundbreaking of the Valenzuela Cooperative Center and Hall of Justice. Also to be inaugurated is the Putong Pulo Garden. An entertainment extravaganza dubbed as Handog Kapamilya 2004 will be held in front of the city hall.

Valenzuela town became a city on Feb. 14, 1998 by virtue of RA 8526 signed by former President Fidel Ramos and ratified by the city residents in a plebiscite held on Dec. 30 that same year. The even marked the city as the 12th in Metropolitan Manila and the 83rd city of the Republic.

"Now on its sixth year and I on my third and last term as the city chief executive, this is one legacy I leave to my people," said Carlos, now running for Congress representing the city’s first district.

Splash Corp. at R. Jacinto street in Canumay leads the city’s top corporate taxpayers. The firm, known for its beauty products, paid some P3 million in taxes to the city in 2003 followed by Grand Union Supermarket in Karuhatan; Felxo Manufacturing Corp. in Veinte Reales, Mercury Drug Main in Malinta, Filipino Metals on Rincon street in Malinta and five steel producing companies, in that order. – Jerry Botial