THE Tacloban City Government recognized on Wednesday, December 18, the top 10 businesses and outstanding real property taxpayers in the city.
"My role as the city mayor is to make sure that we have the proper atmosphere for good business here in Tacloban," said Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who led the awarding ceremony in time for the 11th anniversary of Tacloban as first and only highly-urbanized city in Eastern Visayas.
"Our role is not to police, it is to work in consonance with all the businesses, so we can come up with a win-win solution for all," added the mayor.
In a speech, Romualdez acknowledged the role and cooperation of the businessmen in the economic growth of the city, particularly after the devastation from the Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
Joining the mayor during the awarding rites were Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin, City Councilors Dalisay Erpe and Brian Steve Granados, department heads and city employees.
According to the mayor, Tacloban "has slowly recovered its economy because of the contribution of investors and business establishments."
The 2019 Outstanding Real Property taxpayers of Tacloban are Robinson's Land Corporation, Heva Management Development Corporation, SM Prime Holdings Inc., Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., Wilcon Depot Inc./Lorraine Belo-Cincochan, Petron Corporation, Fast Autoworld Philippines Corporation, Eastern Visayas Telephone Company, Hotel Alejandro/Hotel Lorenza Inc./Citron-Tacloban Property Holdings Inc., and Uytingkoc Development Corporation.
Comprising the Top 10 businesses of the city are Sanford Marketing Corporation, Gaisano Central Store, Gaisano Capital-Tacloban Store, Mercury Drug Corporation-Salazar Branch, Mercury Drug Corporation-Rizal Branch, PMFTC Inc. (Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Company Inc.), Jollibee, Toyota Tacloban, Leyte Inc., Watson and Ford Tacloban.
Meanwhile, Romualdez said the City Government "is building a one-stop-shop at the new City Hall building in time for the January 2020 business renewal and registration."
He said he "will ask the City Council to extend the business renewal period to help accommodate the new system that the local government is putting up for the business clientele."
"The one-stop-shop will be manned by 15 people to make sure that business applicants promptly get their license without having to go to the different departments of the City," added Henry James Roca of the City Information Office.
Since its conversion into a highly-urbanized city in December 18, 2008, Tacloban "is now poised to welcome new investors with new infrastructure and streamlined business processing which is boosted by its newly minted Investment and Incentives Code." (SunStar Philippines)