La Castellana mayor reports town's achievements
LA CASTELLANA -- Mayor Alberto Nicor highlighted this town's revenue collection that has improved significantly in a year of public service.
He said the revenue collections reached P14,305,563.70 covering July 2007 to June of 2008.
This, he said, in his State of the Municipality Address (SOMA) that he delivered before his constituents at the town hall yesterday.
Nicor is the only Municipal Mayor in Negros Occidental who delivered his SOMA.
He said, "The municipality was able to generate revenue from real property tax in the amount of P4,233,930.62 and from local sources - business and other local taxes of P1,657,774.82; from the non-tax revenues and fees amounting to P1,324,856.81 and from the public economic enterprise of P2,854, 563.70."
With all humility he reported his year round of achievements in the social, economic, cultural, environmental, infrastructure, administration and local government' support to national government agencies based in their town.
There's a P1.7 million budget from this year's 20% Development Fund for the social development program.
"I have been very focused on the health of my people as we cannot afford to have an unhealthy citizenry. All the health services are being provided to our people," he said.
He also reported that he received an Ambulance from Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Ignacio T. Arroyo last Nov. 3, 2008 which has been very useful to the town's people during emergency.
La Castellana was also a recipient of an assistance from Sen. Migz Zubiri in the amount of P500,000 for the construction of the Women and Children's Center.
Through the College Assistance for Relevant Education System (CARES) which has a budget of P1.7 million has helped the 220 college scholars -- 74 of them are full scholars and 146 only received educational financial assistance.
Nicor said it is his dream that La Castellana will become the rice granary of the 5th District.
"I believe we can be self-sufficient in food. Cong. Arroyo and the various provincial and national agencies helped La Castellana in its economic development projects," he said.
On cultural and tourism development, Nicor supports the holding of festivals that are unique to our own - Banana festival and Bailes de Luces.
On environment management, "I have been very zealous in advocating for a clean and healthy environment. La Castellana was the province's Cleanest and Greenest municipality for already a decade.
The infrastructure development projects were funded from the town's 20% Development funds worth P3,382,936.57.
Cong. Arroyo also released the funds of P13,300,000.00 from his Countryside Development Fund (CDF) for the various road improvements.
He also funded the construction of the Multi-Purpose building worth P400,000 which will be used as the town's medical laboratory.
Moreover, Nicor emphasized to all the government employees to smile when they serve the people. Smile is the highest degree of respectability that we need to observe to whoever comes to us regardless of their status in life.
Each must love their work and respect government service. "Each government employee should be worth their pay."