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STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
by the: Honorable City Mayor Gerardo P. Valmayor, Jr.

…….. invited guests of the various sectors of our society, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod , fellow workers in government,  good morning.

The year 2011 was a banner year for the city of San Carlos.  We have successfully implemented multi-million peso programs and projects that cater to the needs of our constituents for more access to education, improved health, better environment, and better livelihood for a better life for all. As we did our best to serve these needs of our constituents, we acquired the seal of excellence for our initiatives and efforts as various local and national governmental and non-governmental institutions awarded us with  highest  honors.

We were able to achieve this through the collective efforts of everyone at the top and the bottom of our organization who gave their expertise and energies in fulfilling their respective mission; who gave not only their best  but who did what was required in the interest of public service in our desire to lift up our people’s lives, facilitate the fulfillment of their dreams, and spread opportunities for their economic  advancement  through our various social, economic, and environmental programs and projects. Thank you all for this.

I also would like to extend my greatest appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the Vice Mayor and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod for their continued support and understanding of all our programs, and whose hindsight and foresight have led us to achieve better and effective decisions.  You have made my life easier and meaningful in the seat of our local government.   

I also would like to thank the private sector for their continued support, most especially to those who shared their talent, ideas, expertise and resources for the success of our programs. This includes our critics whose constructive criticism we found some nuggets of gold. Thank you for coming.

I would like to start this report with our budget profile, the summary of total funds available for appropriation in 2011 because I want to let you all know how much you have invested in the city government through taxes, licenses and fees before I talk on the highlights of our accomplishments which will serve as the gains you get for  your investment in the city government for the year 2011.

With the combined efforts of our City Treasurer’s Office, City Assessor’s Office, and our three economic enterprises, we almost hit the targeted income from local sources, especially with the implementation of the new Revenue Code of the City in 2011.

Likewise, our economic enterprises such as Market & Slaughterhouse Department and Public Transport Terminal, City Waterworks Department and City Hospital performed well compared to 2010 although some failed to hit their targets for 2011.

The Public Market and Slaughterhouse Department performed well with a total collection of P12.6 million pesos for 2011 from its targeted collection for 2011 of P11.3 million pesos  which is a much better performance than its 2010 income of P9.7 million pesos,  while the Public Transport Terminal Division collected more than P5.4 million pesos in  actual income versus its target for 2011 of P5.5 million pesos but much higher than its 2010 income of more than P4.1 million.

Our City Waterworks Department achieved 91.2 percent collection with a gross income of more than P27.3 million versus its 2011 target of P30 million but higher compared to its 2010 actual income of P25.5 million pesos.

The City Hospital has an actual collection of more than P26.8 million pesos for 2011 which is higher compared to its actual collection in 2010 of  P23 million although it fell short of its 2011 target of P34 million.

As been practiced in the past, we have seen to it that our expenditures do not exceed our budget.  Allocation has been first made for the provision of the basic services and facilities in accordance with the Local Government Code before applying the funds for other purposes.  

Thus, our budget has enabled us to vigorously pursue our on-going health and social welfare programs through our City Health Office and City Social Welfare and Development Office such as:

Maternal Care Program wherein we have zero maternal mortality indicating that our health office has been very effective in its pre-natal drive among pregnant women;

Family Planning Program;

Child Care Program that includes immunization, New Born Screening of infants, and monitoring of exclusively breastfed infants for 6 months which reduced mortality  to 426 cases  in 2011 compared to  588 cases in 2010; 

Dental Care Program where we also conducted 29 outreach activities to different barangays,  including dental services to inmates of BJMP; 

Sanitation Program;

Anti-Tuberculosis Program where we have 86 percent cure rate exceeding the target of 85 percent;

Rabies Treatment Program; 

Mental Health Care Program which has some 85 mentally-ill patients undergoing progressive treatment with a higher therapeutic percentage of almost 100% through continuous medication;

Day Care Service Program in our 59 day care centers handled by 59 day care workers in our 18 barangays serving 3,052 pre school children;

Healthy Start Project that promote healthy childhood growth and development;

Supplemental Feeding Program through 120-days milk feeding of 300 malnourished pre-school children in the different barangays of the city;

Mobile Education for Little Stars involving informal education for 60 street children;

“Bida Best Ka Bata” project for youth offenders or children in conflict with the law in our city now numbering 20 children with different cases where they are fed, given informal education, values formation and skills training and are given restorative care including peer counseling; and the

Operation of the Guidance Center for minors.

Due to the efforts of our CSWDO, we are also able to fully implement the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program commonly known as 4P’s of the national government to 6,601 beneficiaries from all 18 barangays of the city.

Due to our numerous services and interventions that promote the four rights of children for survival, development, protection and participation, through our City Social Welfare and Development Office, we received the award Most Child Friendly City in the province and Most Child Friendly City, Component City Category in Region 6.

A major significant development in our city health services is the completion of the new City Health Office  from what used to be a mini market. The building which we inaugurated last December 8 boasts of a convenient, comfortable and patient-friendly place. 

On the other hand, our City Hospital which is an ardent implementor of the new-born screening was awarded the Newborn Screening Exemplary Award for 2011 by the Department of Health and the National Institute of Health-UP Manila. This award is given to hospitals that achieved above 90 percent of newborn screening for three consecutive years.

Our City Hospital also acquired a new X-ray machine procured by the city government and a new multi-purpose building  donated by Kasangga Partylist worth One Million Pesos which was blessed last August 2011.

Speaking more of what’s new relative to our hospital services, I am proud to inform you that last December 8 we broke ground  for the construction of a P150 million new hospital located at Hda. Sta. Ana, Brgy. Palampas, near the Smart cellsite at the back of Julio Ledesma National High School.  The site for the hospital building is now being developed along with the development of Circumferential Road 2 leading to the new hospital location.

The first phase of the construction is handled by a private contractor through the Department of Public Works and Highways which is the implementor of the project,  at a budget of P22 million with P20 million coming from the funds of Congressman Jules Ledesma and the P2 million from Kasangga Partylist which also pledged P10million for the road construction leading to the new hospital. 

Although we are just a secondary hospital with a 50-bed capacity, we have been accommodating patients that exceeded this number coming from our city and surrounding localities so that with the new hospital, we hope to properly  accommodate as much as 100 beds to serve the needs of the many people who seek the services of our hospital.

If the city government has been concerned with accommodating the needs of people for a place to get proper treatment from their illness, we are also concerned with providing a proper and decent place to live for our landless citizens.

Thus, one of our priority programs under social services is housing. For years, we are able to address problems of relocating displaced residents who are informal settlers of public and private lands at a time when these public and private lands are used for infrastructure projects in the case of the city and for business or other personal uses of private landowners. Although at this point in time we had no incident of disorderly or violent relocation or ejectment of informal settlers, we continue to seek better and systematic ways to address the shelter problem as we anticipate the influx of more informal settlers due to our continuing growth. In 2011, we created the Local Housing Board to formulate policies, plans and programs on housing and the Integrated Housing Authority to see to the effective implementation of our housing policies and programs. 

We are in the process of preparing the LOCAL SHELTER PLAN, and by next month, the Local Housing Board and other concerned groups will undergo training by  the  staff from the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council-Visayas to effectively come up with this plan at the earliest possible time. 

I was able to attend the Pabahay Caravan program of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay in Iloilo City on November 8-9, 2011 and was interested. Right now, we are looking at the possibility of implementing in our city the Group Housing Program of Vice President Binay under PAG-IBIG coordinated by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council for local and national government employees through the private sector who will engage in the program. The group housing program is a house and lot package for local and national government employees, payable in 30 years regardless of age, at an interest rate of from six to seven percent per annum, and with no equity.   There are already around 70 applications that we received for this program as of the first week this January.

As shown on the SLIDE, the house and lot package under the group housing program amounting to P400,000 has a monthly amortization of more than two thousand pesos only and an interest rate of just 6 percent per annum and the package of P450,000 to P750,000 has a monthly amortization of from almost three thousand to almost five thousand pesos and an interest rate of just 7 percent per annum, all payable in 30 years regardless of age with no equity.
Part of the success of our homelot program is effective cost recovery of land acquisition and development of homelot sites. As at the end of 2011, we have collected from Phase I the amount of P 2.7 million; from Phase III, P1.1  million; from Phase IV -Stage 1 the amount of more than Eight hundred eighty six thousand (P886K); Phase IV -Stage Two, P1 million and Phase IV- Stage three, more than One hundred thirteen thousand pesos (P113K) for a total  collection  of more than P5.9 million pesos.

Aside from that, we are lucky in San Carlos City that there are private lands that are being  offered for sale to the city government which are being evaluated for possible homelot projects in the future.

Most importantly, we are thankful to private land owners who are willing to donate lands for our homelot program like the San Agustin family who donated the lot at Brgy. Guadalupe that the city government developed as a homelot site. We are also very grateful that we also have institutions like Gawad Kalinga Foundation that facilitated the funding of the first eight houses which were turned over in December 2010, the site of which was named GK San Agustin Legacy Village, and the recently completed 50 houses for the beneficiaries of the same resettlement site now named GK Pueblo Jose Javier which was funded by Angelicum Foundation of Spain managed by Fundacion Familia Barcelona. 

Water is a big issue today, especially with the rising demand for this basic commodity. To meet this challenge, the city government is relentlessly pursuing exploration and development of water sources and improving the capabilities of existing ones. 

In 2011, our City Waterworks Department has completed the expansion of Level III water service at Sitio Cabagtasan-Sitio Napaturan, Brgy. Codcod and at Brgy. Bagonbon, and has likewise undertaken spring development and water exploration projects in barangays Prosperidad, Quezon, Bagonbon and Guadalupe.

One accomplishment that is noteworthy to mention in the area of water provision to our city residents is the start of operation last July 15, 2011 of  the Buluangan Level III Water Sub-system that generates 35 cubic meters of water per day.  It is now serving the water needs of 81 households in Brgy. Buluangan as of December 2011. We hope to cover under our Buluangan water system the areas from Katingal-an up to Magbaboy later on.  

If we have been developing water sources for our upland and coastal barangays, the residents of the two island barangays in Sipaway deserve no less, so that the city government is embarking on an ambitious multi-million peso project to provide potable water to Sipaway Island through submarine pipes across Tañon Strait.

The Sipaway Water Supply Project (Phase I) which is now in the procurement of materials stage has a budget of P21million with P5million contributed by the Provincial Government through Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. and P2million from the congressional fund of Congressman Jules Ledesma.  Governor Marañon himself with Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez, Jr. turned over the five-million check to us last November 4 when he was in the city for the Orientation and Distribution of Negros First Family Health Cards to San Carlos City beneficiaries at the City Auditorium.  We will be needing another P10million for the distribution of water to each household in Sipaway.

San Carlos City residents in the poblacion need not worry about the supply of water to their residences or establishments because earlier we have made provisions for the needed water supply to Sipaway Island. The City Waterworks Department has started the P8.1 million peso project of transmission line installation from Aglahos 2 spring to Bodiawe 1 Catchment Tank and the installation of supply pipe from Catchment Tank to Bodiawe reservoir tank     which will not only answer  the water requirements of the Sipaway water project, but will also augment the supply of water in the existing service areas as the project will bring in additional 3,250 cubic meters of water per day or 700 gallons per minute. 

Imperative with our water supply program is watershed protection which is being taken cared of expertly by the San Carlos Development Board through its watershed development program funded by the P1.00 water levy for every cubic meter consumed by water consumers. A total of P1,860,782 was collected from the water levy in 2011. The SCDB watershed project focused on forest development for the last five years of its implementation and as of 2011, a total of 382 hectares of idle and marginal private and public lands in Barangays Rizal, Palampas, Punao, Nataban, Quezon and Buluangan have been planted with indigenous forest tree species.

Moreover, we are also actively engaged in the Rehabilitation of Bago River Watershed Forest Reserve project implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources covering the area within the jurisdiction of San Carlos City at Brgy. Prosperidad covering 172 hectares, 50 hectares of which are rainforestation and 122 hectares for agroforestry through funding from the World Bank and Global Environment Facility of P7.1 million and counterparted by the city in the amount of P3 million divided into P1 million per year for three years. The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office commended our outstanding performance and accomplishment in this undertaking, specifically in our work on the rainforestation where we achieved 97.91 percent survival rate. This honor actually goes to the AMMA Bago Watershed Integrated Farmers Association, Incorporated, a people’s organization that is performing the actual work on the project.

A public-private partnership between San Carlos City and Energy Development Corporation or EDC has made possible a 100 hectares rainforestation and agro-forestry project at Sitio Punod, Brgy. Prosperidad. The project undertaken by Navigata Upland Farmers’ Association in Sitio Punod is funded by EDC which is financing the cost of the 50 hectares rainforestation and the city government is funding the amount of P400,000 for the seedlings and other inputs of the other 50 hectares. The 50 hectare rainforestation project is planted with endemic forest trees while the 50 hectares agro forestry component is planted with various high value fruit trees like lanzones, rambutan, durian, mangosteen, guyabano and jack fruit.

But on our own, we have been implementing our environment and ecological security program such as North Negros Forest Reserve Reforestation program, Mt. Kanlaon National Park Reforestation program, Integrated Bago River Watershed Development Program, Bantay Dagat program, Coastal Resource Management program, and Marine Protected Area program funded solely by the city and implemented year after year by the City Agriculture Office.

In addition to those environmental concerns that are handled by the City Agriculture Office, we were also able to address a major environmental concern in 2011. This is our wastewater management program that we started implementing last year through our Solid Waste Management Office in compliance with Republic Act 9275 or the Clean Water Act.

The Improvement of   slaughterhouse wastewater treatment facility  budgeted at P483,350 was completed and the facility was blessed last September 8.

Incorporated in the design of the new City Health Office is a wastewater treatment facility costing P280,000 and we have installed a Rainwater harvester at the Public Transport Terminal costing P150,000 for water conservation.

With regards to our solid waste management program, we have made improvements of the Eco-Center Facilities through the improvement of vermi-composting facility, waste storage area  to accommodate more waste material, and the improvement of its existing wastewater treatment. 

To further promote appreciation of the environment, the city launched for the first time  last  June 20-24, 2011,  the first localized environment week celebration promoting water and energy conservation, reforestation and coastal cleanup to protect our rich marine resources.  During this occasion, we also launched the No Plastic Day Program at the  wet market section of the city public market where the use of plastic materials is rampant as  it is now imperative that we minimize the use of plastics which are non-biodegradable and very hazardous to the environment.  The no plastic day will be strictly implemented this 2012 following a city ordinance.

For effectively carrying out our solid waste management and other environment related programs of the city, the seven-member staff of our Solid Waste Management Office was awarded  the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award-Group Category in the search for outstanding public officials and employees sponsored by the Civil Service Commission in 2011.

The degradation of the environment in other places in the country has caused tragic calamities and should be a lesson not only about environmental protection, but a lesson likewise on preparedness. God forbid, we do not want any calamities to come to San Carlos but being entrusted with the general safety and well-being of the public, it is our job to be prepared for any calamitous event especially that one incidence of flash flooding in Barangay Punao and Barangay One occurred last December 27, 2011. 

We are pleased to report that in 2012 we shall be adequately equipped in coping with such eventualities. We have already set aside in our 2012 budget allocations for the purchase of various communications and warning equipment, transportation facilities including rubber boats, rescue equipment and other needs. We also plan the construction of the San Carlos City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center, the conversion and improvement of selected schools, multi-purpose halls or covered courts into evacuation centers, and equip concerned personnel with appropriate trainings for effective response which will all be charge to the pre-disaster fund of P21.694 million representing 70 percent of the 2011 calamity fund.

The remaining 30 percent equivalent to P9.297 million serves as our quick response fund which will be used for the purchase of food, medicines and others for victims of disasters or calamities. Hopefully, with our collective prayers and our efforts on the environment, our city will continue to be spared of these tragic events, thus, we are thankful that all of us are committed to the protection of our environment.

Our concern for the safety of our people include that which are caused by people themselves that we have always been supportive to our local police force, fire department and the city jail. 

In 2011, we funded the mobility of the San Carlos City PNP by almost 10 million pesos for fuel and oil and others, we donated communications and office equipment to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in their campaign which resulted to the arrests of 14 persons for illegal drugs; 28 persons for loose firearms; 28 persons for illegal gambling; 19 persons for illegal fishing; confiscated 220 sacks of charcoal and 2,500 board feet of hardwood; and the apprehension of members of ABB-RPA and Oti Bacordo Group. Our PNP is also assisting in preventing road accidents caused by pilferages or fallen sugar canes from cane trucks through its Bantay Dalan Operation and in the training of barangay public safety officers or barangay tanods and such other community relations activities that redounds to the safety of inhabitants of the city.

For its accomplishments and programs, the local PNP received  the Hall of Fame award as Most Citizen-Friendly Police Station (City Category) in Region 6 for winning the title for three consecutive years from 2009 to 2011.

In connection also with our barangay tanods, we are proud to inform you that Barangay  5 won the Outstanding Tanod (Group Category) and Barangay 2 the Outstanding Tanod (Individual Category) in the 2011 Provincial Kalinaw Awards, the annual search for the best Barangay Peace and Order Council in the province in 2011.

On the other hand, the Bureau of Fire Protection conducted programs, activities and strategies in fire prevention with the full support of the local government through a budget of P1,411,700 to cater the needs of the Bureau of Fire Protection for major repairs of  firetrucks, and purchases of some equipments and office supplies. 

The BFP successfully conducted fire drills at Gaisano and other department stores, at the City Hospital and San Carlos Doctors’ Hospital and in public and private elementary, high school and college institutions of the city. It also conducted periodic fire safety inspections, and lectures on fire prevention and building emergency and evacuation plan.  

For the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, the city allocated a total of P1,359,574 in 2011 for the implementation of  its office programs and services including training and scholarship expenses for one jail officer who attended the Jail Senior Supervisory Course in Calamba Laguna. The Bureau’s best practices like the no smoking policy and therapeutic community modality wherein inmates were continuously rehabilitated in terms of character and attitude to create an existence of mutual understanding and peace among inmates inside the jail, it was awarded as 2011 Best City Jail in the Philippines last July 2, 2011 at Camp Crame based  on the criteria   of implementation of rehabilitation programs, innovation, projects through non-government means and zero escape and incidents. It also maintained its award as Best City Jail in Region 6 for three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010.
Aside from implementing environmental and ecological security programs for our city, the City Agriculture Office has implemented our various economic development programs through its livestock and agricultural development programs. Under livestock development are programs on Animal Disease Control, Artificial Insemination, Dispersal of Large Farm Animals, and Dispersal and Upgrading of Native Goats. Under Agricultural Development are High Value Commercial Crops or Fruit Production, Vegetable Production Program, Technical and Market Support for Integrated Farming System, Agricultural Center and Integrated Demonstration Area, and Agricultural Engineering Services

The four-hectare Agricultural Center and Integrated Demonstration Area at So. Medina, Brgy. Rizal serves as the seat of agricultural research and technical development to further improve the city’s agricultural proficiency. The center is currently test growing high value commercial crops and fruit trees like rambutan, pomelo, mangosteen, and mango.

Across the Agri Center lies the 6 hectares Livestock Center where all activities of our livestock development program are undertaken.

The inauguration of the Agri Center last June 2011 was graced by Senator Edgardo Angara who donated P5 million and made possible the realization of the Administration Building which now houses the City Agriculture Office since August of last year.

Aside from what I have already mentioned, the city government has also accomplished various infrastructure projects that translate our support to improve education, economic development as well as health. In 2011, we have the following infrastructure projects:
Completion of Two Classroom Building at San Juan National High School
New Panaad sa Negros Booth for San Carlos City
Construction of Warehouse Building at Motorpool Compound
Construction of Bantay Dagat Headquarters
Construction of Covered Basketball Court at Brgys. 1, 3, 6 and Brgy. Rizal
Construction of Barangay Center, Brgy. V
Completion of Day Care Center at So. Amontay, Brgy. Prosperidad
Conversion of the Old Public Cemetery into a Brgy Site Phase I and construction of   barangay hall
Improvement of Ermita Wharf, Brgy Ermita
Renovation of Public Plaza
Road concreting at Brgy Codcod, Quezon, Nataban, Palampas, San Juan, Punao, Bagonbon, Brgy. 1 and Ermita
Road Opening at Balisong-Pinamantawan, Brgy. Quezon
Multi-Purpose Concrete Pavement at Brgy. II
Construction of Footbridge at Ledesma Heights, Brgy. Palampas
Construction of 3 Secondary Poles & 17 Primary Poles at So. Tuod, Brgy.  Codcod 
Construction of 1 Classroom at Ground Floor & 5 Classrooms at 2nd Floor of 3 Storey school building of Julio Ledesma National High School
Construction of 2- Storey Seven Classroom Building of School of the Future
Construction of Three Seater Restroom at Igmamatay E/S
Construction of Stage at Don Carlos Ledesma NHS
Construction of 2 units Clay Surface Tennis Court at Center Mall
Construction of One (1) Unit Tourism Shed at Dapdap, Brgy. San Juan, Sipaway Island
Construction of Brgy. Outpost and Information Center, Brgy III
Concreting of Access Road and Drainage Installation at Remedios Relocation Center, Brgy. III
Improvement of Drainage & Concreting of Road Shoulder at Don Juan, Brgy. II
Street Lighting at Homelot Program Phase 4 Stage II & III
Street Light at Gawad Kalinga Village, Phase I, Brgy. Guadalupe
Marina Site Development with Embankment (Phase I) at People's Park; and
Construction of Seawall Promenade & Access Road, Reclamation Project, Brgy. VI

In relation to education, we are pleased to inform you that the performance of the local education sector has considerably increased in 2011 compared to the previous year.

DepEd was able to organize 75 classes for Kindergarten Volunteer Program in 59 public schools  compared to 2010 with 50 classes only; 20 classes for Kindergarten Regular Program in 10 public schools as compared to  10 classes only in 2010; there were 8 public elementary schools that obtained 75% and above MPS or Mean Percentage Score in National Achievement Test 3 as compared to 6 schools the last school year ; a total of 26 public elementary schools obtained 75% and above MPS in NAT 6 as compared to the last school year with 18 Public Elementary Schools only; the NAT Mean Percentage Score in Grade 3 is 63.53 as compared to 2010 MPS of 56.3; the NAT Mean Percentage Score in Grade 6 is 73.67 higher than 2010 MPS of 65.57.  

Our public elementary drop out rate also decreased by 10.54 percent while graduation rate increased by 0.80 percent. In the public secondary level, our drop out rate decreased by 33.78 percent while the graduation rate rose by 2.35 percent in 2011.

All of these programs and projects were made possible through sound fiscal collection and management as the city maintains the policy of spending within its means and prioritizing programs and projects to answer the felt needs of the public.  The city’s financial performance is best reflected in its annual surplus at each end of the year and the fact that it has never resorted to borrowings to fund its expenditures and programs. 

For the year 2012, the city government will continue with its important projects even though our Internal Revenue Allotment has been reduced by P73 million in view of the low collection of the national internal revenue taxes of the national government in 2009 and the creation of the 16 new cities.  Our 2012 budget is therefore based on the following sources of income.

We may have suffered a setback when the  amount of  P73 million in IRA was slashed from our 2012 budget, but we cannot and will not sacrifice our basic services or  terminate any of our on-going and scheduled programs and projects. To cushion the effect of the reduction, we turned our attention to only two areas in which to reduce our budget. We abolished some 68 unfilled positions which we feel we can do without at the moment equivalent to 20 million pesos in salaries and benefits and we also imposed a mandatory reduction in the maintenance and other operating expenses or MOOE of not less than ten percent of the 2011 total budget of the various departments of the local government and even national governments with funding from the city, in addition to the mandatory 10 percent retention.

Fortunately also for our priority programs, last December 27, we received P35 million  from the Local Government Support Fund for having passed the disclosure requirement of DILG that earned for us the Seal of Good Housekeeping.

The Seal of Good Housekeeping is awarded to local government units that have adhered to the tenets of good governance based on the criteria of sound financial management measured through the absence of an adverse or a disclaimer COA opinion on local financial transactions, and on  transparency and accountable governance measured through the valuing of the full disclosure policy.

The amount of 35 million compensated by about fifty percent our loss in IRA, particularly in our lump sum appropriations for 2012. Because we believe that the quality of public services is anchored strongly on the economy of San Carlos City, we are predominantly extending support to business and agriculture through our road program.  Any road leading to a potential business is a road to progress.

The P35 million which we already received will fully redound to the benefit of our people in the countryside as this is being used to fund four priority rural road projects, namely:
·    Concreting of one kilometer road along Sitio Lupao to Balisong Box Culvert at Brgy. Quezon at P9M
·    Concreting of one kilometer road at Sitio Maliguid, Brgy. Nataban to Sitio Agbulod, Brgy. Prosperidad at P9M;
·    Concreting of one kilometer road along Sitio maravilla to Balisong box culvert, brgy. Codcod at P9M; and
·    Concreting of one kilometer Punao-Bagonbon road at P8M.
These projects will bring us nearer to our goal of completely interconnecting  all rural and urban barangays and providing better road access to barangays identified in our master development plan as rural growth centers to promote the development of eco-tourism, the growth of our agriculture, and most especially to connect the community to the barangay centers where they can access various health services, and technical inputs and expertise that will consequently improve the people’s health and increase the productivity and income of farmers.

In fact, due to our road programs that open the countryside to development, we have now a new major tourist destination in the upland area to boost our tourism, the La Vista Highlands Mountain  Resort.

We have surpassed our expectations. While we were only fulfilling our job, while we were simply facilitating other people’s dreams and aspirations, we emerged to become champions in the eyes of those who were looking for exemplary and dedicated service to inspire others. Thus, the year 2011 was a banner year for San Carlos City in terms of awards and recognitions won by itself and by institutions and agencies that it helped to achieve.

We are proud to enumerate our awards in 2011 topped by an international award, as follows:

Second  place – Whole City Award, Category C for Population of 75,001-150,000;

Special Whole City Award and  Special Award for San Carlos City in the Individual Criteria Awards in the 2011 International Awards for Liveable Communities, awarded during the LivCom Awards 2011 last October 27-31, 2011 at Songpa, Seoul, South Korea

Champion in 2011 National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools represented by Iliranan Elementary School

Regional EXCELL Certificate of Sustainability

Second place - Gawad Pamana ng Lahi (Regional Level)

Regional champion in Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools represented by Iliranan Elementary School and  Julio Ledesma National High School, 

Provincial EXCELL Plaque of Sustainability and Best Performing PESO in Region 6.

We were also awarded the following in 2011 for our 2010 performance:

Most Outstanding Assessment Office in Region VI for CY 2010 and  Best Office Practice Award for our City Assessor’s Office for obtaining the highest rating of 96.04% and for having implemented best practices

Third  Most Outstanding City Treasury Office in Region VI for CY 2010 for the City Treasurer’s Office for obtaining the rating of 90.28% 

Provincial Hall of Fame Award for winning the Model Solid Waste Management Board for 2008, 2009 & 2010

2010 Best Solid Waste Management Board

Champion in the Search for Most Outstanding LGU on Environmental Management  (City Category) -Year 3 and the individual awards Best in solid waste management, Best in sustainability, Best in environmental advocacy program; and

Second place, Model Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMC) for 2010

Each year we leave a legacy of excellence in serving the public. Having done so, we shall endeavor to continue with this tradition that has been established by previous administrations and by the present administration. Having earned the award as the second most livable city in the world, we are constrained to live up to expectations and to bring forth the best qualities of our city and our city government so that our people will reap the benefits that this award and all other awards will bring. With the continuing commitment and best performance of our city officials and employees, and the continuing cooperation and best inputs of our partners in the private sector, the continuing cooperation of the public, especially in their compliance to local laws and legislations intended for the common good, we shall continue to give excellent service through the years. And, of course, with the blessing of God through our Patron Saint, St. Charles Borromeo, that He will continue to protect and keep us safe from the ravages of nature, we shall continue with our journey to make San Carlos City the best place to live. Thank you and God bless us all. Vamos San Carlos!