Belmonte: Cities are the new nations
Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the emergence of cities as centers of commerce and economic drivers of their respective countries has provided growing power to local governments, enabling local leaders to increase their influence in state affairs and in national breakthroughs.
“Cities are malleable habitats for life. They can be molded, guided, equipped, strengthened and fine-tuned to achieve goals like employment, innovation and growth,” he said during a symposium organized by the German Federal Intelligence Service Bundesnachrichtendienst, where he was invited as a panelist.
The invitation gave Belmonte the distinction of being the first elected Filipino official to be invited in the workshop series, which had the theme “Crisis of Governance.” About 400 Asian and European officials and experts attended the symposium.
During the occasion, Belmonte discussed the various governance strategies that he has put in place in a bid to provide a better quality of life for
Among Philippine cities,
Already, this investment has provided the expansion of concreting of more than 50 percent of the city’s road network, the most expansive so far in Metro Manila.
“Having the resources is critical to a local government’s ability to gain the power to lead urbanization effectively into a new economic order,” Belmonte said.
His policies have also encouraged the rise of more 24-hour city centers, even in suburban Novaliches, that have attracted business locators among information technology companies that serve global markets.
- Latest
- Trending