REELECTED for a second term in 2013, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza promised to boost investments and tourism, upgrade infrastructure, provide health care and employment, and address the problems in education.
What has she done to fulfill these promises?
Billions of investments that resulted in an increase in the City’s tax collection became the highlight of Radaza’s second term as mayor.
In her State of the City Address (SOCA) last year, Radaza boasted of a 53-percent increase in the City’s income from P927
million in 2010 to P1.4 billion in 2014.
During her first term as mayor, the real property tax collection of the City was only at P60.7 million. Four years later, it went up to P148 million.
Business taxes also increased from P303 million in 2010 to P488 million in 2014.
The number of establishments also increased from 7,000 to 12,000 in just four years.
Her administration has undertaken road works in the key arteries in the city since she was first elected in 2010.
From 2010 to 2015, 80 percent of the 96.6 kilometers of city roads are now cemented while 48 kilometers of the 67.2 kilometers of cemented roads were concreted.
A total of six kilometers of drainage were also constructed.
Radaza’s administration also addressed the shortage of classrooms.
According to Radaza, the City spent P124 million in 2015 alone to construct 155 classrooms in the same year to reduce the shortage of classrooms from 468 in 2013 to 222 at present.
The City also hired about 137 new public school teachers last year.
The City also spent about P20 million to construct a new school building, upgrade the library, laboratory and other facilities of the city’s only college, the Lapu-lapu City College.
In the area of tourism, City Hall launched the “Historic Resort City” branding last year. Radaza’s administration also promoted Lapu-Lapu City as a sports tourism spot.
It hosted international sporting events such as the Cobra Ironman Philippines for four consecutive years and the Davis Cup in the previous years.
“This year we will play host to the 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship Triathlon,” said Radaza.
In 2014, Lapu-Lapu’s hosting of the Ironman Philippines ranked second best in the world.
And she gives birthday cakes, too.
Every year, around 16,000 senior citizens receive birthday cakes from City Hall.
“While some are cynical about the giving of birthday cakes to senior citizens, I have made sure that the millions spent for it for several years now does not only give joy and happiness to our senior citizens. It is also part of my administration’s poverty alleviation program,” Radaza earlier said.