Lim upbeat about Tagbilaran's future

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines —Mayor Dan Neri Lim, in his recent State of the City Address (SOCA), was confident and optimistic that the city government can now go into more development in the future even without him at the helm.

The SOCA was still part of the 46th Charter Day celebration last July 1. Lim was supposed to deliver it at the time but due to the untimely demise of former Mayor Jose Ma. Rocha, he deferred it until last week.

Lim’s SOCA was shaped with the question on what the city government has done in the past eight years.

First in his performance list was the Botika sa Katawhan, which was designed to provide equal access by residents to medicine regardless of economic status. “This served and still is serving 13,429 recipients including senior citizens and the poorest of the poor households,” he said.

Lim’s administration also institutionalized the Blue Card Program, which offers free hospitalization to the poorest of the city residents who can hardly afford medical services.

“We now have 6,493 registered senior citizens who avail themselves of free movies on selected days and receive birthday cakes in addition to other privileges through the City Health Office and the Botika sa Katawhan,” he said.

On education of children, Lim said he put up the Early Childhood Development Program that integrated the Multiple Intelligence Theory of Dr. Howard Gardner into the Barangay Day Care Centers. “This is a pilot program being considered for implementation by the DepEd, proof that our innovations are being recognized by the national government even if our critics refused to consider its importance,” he said.

Lim said he also initiated the distribution for free of children’s uniforms, shoes and school supplies, a project that became the model and being imitated by some towns in Bohol.

Another performance Lim outlined to the people was his Purok Level Consultation, a first of its kind that earned the “Galing Pook Award,” for bringing the government much closer to the barangays. “For the last five years, this consultation has produced so much participatory effect by the people who raised issues of public interest from minute concerns to big ones that need to be attended to,” he said.

On infrastructure, especially on city roads network that he said was the “favorite subject” of his critics, Lim said the city was able to cement 4.9 kilometers, asphalted 14.9 kms and rehabilitated 22.6 kms, out of the total 66.5 kms. “ When I took over in 2004, the city road network totaled 66.569 kms. Most of these were in various stages of disrepair either due to neglect or for other reasons,” he said.

Lim said his administration even extended the length of the city’s road network to 89.08 kms now, or an additional of 22.511 kms, of which only 24.019 kms. remain to be needing improvement.

“I don’t know of any past administrations in this city that can match this feat. And yet, if you listen to the critics, you would get the impression that we have not done anything. Imagine what damage 24.019 kilometers can do when used for deception and intrigue,” he told the crowd.

Lim said he also fulfilled his promise to make use of the unfinished agora (market) building at the heart of the city proper, which has become the subject of criticism. He said it was left to decay during his predecessors’ time “despite some P40 million plus being poured to it.”

He added that he realized the dream of having a satellite market and an integrated bus terminal in Dao and Dampas districts for expansion purposes. “The area is now booming and becomes a bustling business hub where the modern mall is located,” he said.

The rest of his SOCA, Lim said: “We have reached the point of no return. The gains that we have accomplished since 2004 have catapulted Tagbilaran to a place it has never reached before. No matter how hard our critics try, they can never be able to deny the gains that we have accomplished in the last eight years. Aside from the figures and other indicators, prestigious and credible institutions attest to this.

“The Institute for Solidarity in Asia chose Tagbilaran as one of eight Philippine Dream Cities while the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center said Tagbilaran was no. 1 in quality of life for cities with a population of less than 100,000 for two years.”

“Last December, the Department of Interior and Local Government gave us the Seal of Good Housekeeping that effectively negates the intrigues sown by our critics that this administration is rotten to the core.”