Zamboanga now peaceful, progressive

Mayor Beng Climaco

ZAMBOANGA HAS grown and expanded by almost every measure and is a better, stronger place than it was before; and the local economy remains vibrant the past nine years under the administration of Mayor Beng Climaco.

Even Assistant National Statistician Vivian Ilarina said while all regions in the country reverted to economic growth last year, only Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen had exceeded their gross regional domestic product, saying only the four regions returned to pre-Covid pandemic levels.

Climaco recalled a Facebook post by Kiko Miranda in 2013 after she defeated veteran politician Celso Lobregat and won the mayoral election. In his post, Kiko wrote this: “To Mayor-elect Beng Climaco, in your hands now rests a rotting city (as how I would see it). This city has been rotting in its own backyard for a long time. They say that when a child is sick, the best medicine for any illness is a mother’s touch. Your image of a caring mother to Zamboanguenos gained you the trust of the public. May your mother’s touch be powerful, so powerful that it will revive La Bella Zamboanga and restore hope to Zamboanguenos who have lost it over the years.” 

Kiko also challenged Climaco to prove that she is not a puppet of anybody. “I also challenge you to prove to us that rumors of you being a puppet to politicians currently seated in their respective seats of power are not true; that you have your own mind and will to run the city based on your own set of principles and conscience and not of others.” 

The writer, born Marco Alfino V. Miranda, is a Zamboangueño theatre artist and Director of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Center for Culture and the Arts. 

True leader

Climaco said she has proven herself to be a leader for all Zamboangueños - Christians, Muslims and indigenous people. “Reflecting on this as I leave City Hall, ustedes querido compueblanos de Zamboanga will be the judge on how our City has grown and expanded – by almost every measure, Zamboanga is a better, stronger place than it was before when we started,” the mayor said, citing the exponential growth of the economy under her administration. 

“Our economy has grown exponentially from 8,397 registered businesses in 2013 (when she won as mayor) to more than 12,000 businesses in 2021 and we are projecting more growth this year and the years to come,” she said. 

Climaco said she also improved the city’s peace and order situation and the volume of infrastructure projects she has accomplished - compared to the past Lobregat administration – attracted not only investors, but the attention of the national government and the many awards Zamboanga reaped throughout her terms.

“With all our development work, the infrastructure projects we have poured in and our enhanced peace and order situation – we have seen an influx of businesses and investors coming into the City for the last nine years creating an unprecedented increase of jobs and livelihood opportunities for our people. Mucho trabaho por causa que manada maga negocio el ya abri aqui na de atun Ciudad.” 

“Zamboanguenos now enjoy a wide range of options from local, national and international brands. Even amidst the pandemic, we have seen an avalanche of new restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores and other establishments sprouting up all over the City,” the mayor said. 

Investors

Climaco said it was during her administration that KCC Mall de Zamboanga opened and so is the City Mall de Zamboanga and another one is forthcoming. The first SM branch in Zamboanga Peninsula also opened under her administration and is now serving not only the locals, but even the neighboring provinces in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces. 

She added that another SM mall will soon rise in Zamboanga, including the Filinvest Condominium, the first high rise residential project in the region. The mayor said Filinvest has been Zamboanga’s solid partner in success since it launched Villa San Ignacio, the first private, master-planned community with complete amenities in Barangay Tumaga, and Futura Homes Zamboanga.

In all of these developments, Filinvest said the Climaco administration showed support by helping Filinvest realize its vision of building the Filipino dream in the city, where Zamboangeños can pursue a healthy and green lifestyle. Filinvest vows to continue to be part of Zamboanga City’s progress. 

Sound management

“For five consecutive years, we were a finalist in the Most Business Friendly LGU Award by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. with our Business One Stop Shop as our flagship program for a faster and more efficient business registration and renewal process including electronic payments of taxes,” Climaco said. 

“Our economic enterprises under the City Administrator’s Office also helped increase our collections over the years. From 2013 to 2020, the Main Public Market recorded a revenue of P176.3 million; Santa Cruz Market at P131.7 million and the City Abattoir at P64.8 million,” the mayor said, adding the Zamboanga Integrated Bus Terminal also recorded a revenue of P77.1 million since its operations in 2015,” she added.

Climaco said with all of the funds the local government collected, she made sure to return it back to the people in the form of projects, programs, activities and welfare services. She said tens of thousands of residents, mostly from poor families, and the vulnerable sectors, including the elderly and those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, have largely benefited from various projects and projects. “As a matter of fact, The Manila Times recognized Zamboanga City in its Model City Awards as a Social Welfare Awardee, highlighting our programs that cover children, the youth, working population including our senior citizens and persons with disabilities,” the mayor said. 

Projects

Aside from the award, Climaco said The Manila Times also recognized the local government as an Education Hub Awardee in the Model City Awards. “This is an integral part of our formidable legacy on education. The Manila Times recognized us in the Model City Awards as an Education Hub Awardee,” she said, citing the P1.5 billion in education initiatives as part of her priority the past 9 years.

The mayor was referring to the oldest extant English-language newspaper in the country, The Manila Times, which was founded in 1898. She said under her administration, the education expenses for various infra projects and other support programs even surpassed that of the previous whole nine-year administration of Lobregat.

“Como antes un maestra, grande tambien fondo el ya dale kita na educacion. We have invested a total of P1.5 billion in education which is 89.84% higher compared to the previous administration’s nine-year term,” the mayor said.

The multi-awarded Climaco said the education budget built at least 62 climate resilient buildings and rehabilitated and improved 23 more school buildings. 

She said infrastructure projects are continuing to further boost the education program of her administration which will benefit the children whom she referred to as future leaders of Zamboanga. “We are also constructing a P79.9 million worth of college building for the Colegio de la Ciudad de Zamboanga – our new local city college which is our baby project under our administration,” she said. 

In addition to school buildings and infrastructure, the mayor said the local government also placed a premium in the development of educational materials for students of all grade levels, including key resources aimed at the preservation and promotion of the Chavacano language. (Zamboanga Post)