THE Lapu-Lapu City Government honored its top 25 taxpayers last Friday night, with Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa receiving the Hall of Famer award for paying the biggest taxes for five consecutive years.
Mayor Paz Radaza thanked the awardees and reiterated her commitment to serve businesses in the city.
She also assured that the legal suits she is facing will not affect the City’s delivery of services.
Personal trouble
The mayor was recently charged before the Sandiganbayan with malversation of public funds and violation of the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act over the alleged misuse of a former congresswoman’s pork barrel funds in 2002.
She posted bail of P140,000 last July 14 after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for her arrest.
She was also implicated in a case over the alleged creation of fictitious loans that led to the bankruptcy of the Rural Bank of Subangdaku, of which she was an official before she became a mayor.
“These are issues that happened long before I became mayor of this city,” she said at the awarding ceremony at the Hoops Dome.
“As mayor, I assure you that I will do my utmost best to also live up to the promise I made when I took that solemn oath of office. I will faithfully serve each and every one of you until the very end of my term,” she said.
The awarding ceremony coincided with the City’s launching of its brand, which is aimed to attract more tourists and investors.
“Launching the City’s brand tonight as we honor our top 25 taxpayers sends a very clear message that my administration will do what it takes to further grow the economy, emulate the culture of world-class service from the tourism industry into the entire city,” Radaza said.
Other awardees
Aside from Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, the other awardees are (from top): Lear Automotive (EEDS) Phils. Inc.; General Milling Corp.; Phil. BXT Corp./Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa; Fairchild Semiconductor (Phils.) Inc.; Taiyo Yuden (Phils) Corp; Filinvest Group of Companies; Philippine Iino Corp.; East Asia Utilities Corp.; Gaisano Grand Mall of Mactan; Plantation Bay Holdings Corp./Plantation Bay Hotel Inc.; MSY Holdings Corp./Bayswater Homes; Funai Electric Cebu Inc. (formerly Lexmark International Inc.); Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino Inc.; Taipan Development Inc. (Gaisano Capital Mactan); Cebu Light Industrial Park Inc.; Seascapes Resort Inc.; Oikonomos International Resources Corp./Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu;
Pentax Cebu (Phils.) Corp.; MSM Cebu Inc. (Precision Spring); TMX Philippines Inc.; Freemont Food Corp. (Jollibee); Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company; Prohomes Development Inc.; Yamashin Cebu Filter Manufacturing Corp.; and NKC Manufacturing Phils. Corp. (RSB)