MBTF compares feats vs. BSL in SOCA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – In her 2018 State of the City Address (SOCA) the mayor here once again compared her accomplishment particularly economics gain to her predecessor she defeated in the 2013 mayoralty election.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez showed to the multitude the exponential figures that dwarfed the monetary collection of the administration of former Mayor Benjie S. Lim.

Both are known with their MBTF and BSL's acronym.

Was it because of corruption or incompetence that slower the performances of the latter to the feat of the former? 
Fernandez did not say it during her speech held recently at the jam-packed Stadia in Barangay Lucao here.

THOSE DAYS – Then Dagupan City’s Vice Mayor Belen T. Fernandez looks at Mayor Benjie S. Lim answered queries of reporters inside the office of the mayor. A come backing Lim became mayor of the coastal city in 2010-2013 and was defeated by Fernandez in an acrimonious May 2013 election. Mayor Fernandez will be seeking her third term in the 2019 poll and is rumored to be pitted with Lim’s son Vice Mayor Brian Lim.

 “I am pleased to report that we have not only made a turnaround in our economy. The speed of growth of our economy is simply unstoppable”.

Fernandez cited the city hit its highest cash surplus for five consecutive years, capped by its strongest showing in 2017 with 147 million pesos.

She said that this city’s impressive economic growth continues to come from its aggressive collections.

Market collections have doubled from P37.7 million in 2010 to P74.4 million in 2017 while comfort room collections multiplied exponentially with P9.2 million in 2017 compared to over P800, 000 in 2013.

Lim was elected mayor here in 2010 but lost in his re-election bid to Fernandez, his vice mayor, in an acrimonious election in 2013.

Both of their families owned chains of malls in and out of the forty four towns and four cities’ province Pangasinan.

Income on real property tax also increased significantly from P25 million in 2010 to P41 million in 2017, she cited.

Collections for market cash tickets have also increased from its previous P7 million in 2013 to P12.7 million in 2017 while yearly deboning collections notched a spike from P280,568 in 2016 to more than P800,000 in one year.

“My fellow Dagupenos, the numbers cannot be disputed and needs no embellishments. The changes are positive, and impact is felt,” said Fernandez.

Rationalization of expenditures by bringing government efficiency with lesser costs resulted in overtime pay decreasing even further, breaking last year’s historic lowest level of P3 million in 2016 to P2.9 million in 2017

On education, Mayor Fernandez significantly invested in the futures of the Dagupeno’s youth through its pioneering MBTF Scholarship program.

It has now has a budget of P22 million in 2018 compared to its previous P3 million budget in 2013.

The Lim Administration did not fund any scholar, she cited in the SOCA.

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