Negosyo Festival, keeping business more fun in the city

True to its theme, “More Business. More Fun.”, the City of Koronadal held an 8-day business-oriented and fun-filled celebration of its 12^th Charter Anniversary & 2^nd Negosyo Festival which concluded on October 8, 2012.  

Mayor Peter B. Miguel had always been enthusiastic in keeping business more alive, more vibrant and more fun in the city through various activities and programs ranging from trade fairs and exhibits, business forum, business awards night, nightly food and drink fests with celebrity performers, and the launch of Siok Falls at B/Mabini as an Eco-tourism destination in the city.

Guest speaker DTI Regional Director Ibrahim K. Guiamadel in his message during the Opening Ceremony recognized Koronadal as a fast developing growth center continuously proving its economic potentials conducive for trade and industry by the increasing number of business names registered with the DTI.

Highlighted the Opening Ceremony was the City of Koronadal being awarded the Seal of Good Housekeeping by Provincial Director Josephine C. Leysa which award recognizes the LGU for its commendable performance to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency for good governance.

“Koronadal strives…of becoming the center of trade and industry in South Central Mindanao”, Mayor Miguel said in his opening message noting the fact that much had been happening in Koronadal where  fast economic growth and abounding business opportunities were concerned with new infrastructures sprouting almost everyday and new entrepreneurs from other places bringing huge investments in the city.

Further, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 493, the Cooperative Month celebration was also and important part of the weeklong celebration. Also during the same Opening Ceremony, Ms. Sherlita Jacob, representative of CDA Regional Director Watanabe L. Roales shared information on how and why October was declared the Cooperative Month by the cooperative movement.

Meanwhile, to offer businesses the chance to exhibit, network and create business opportunities, the festival featured the Eco Industrial Tourism and Trade Expo at Gaisano Grand Mall. It was participated in by the motorcycle and car industry, one-town-one-product suppliers, appliance centers, airlines/travel agencies, tourism/hotel/resorts/inn owners and agri-products and machineries providers. In the duration of the exhibit, each exhibitor treated the booth visitors to a day of fun and pampering through games and surprises with lots of take home freebies.

Moreover, the Koronadal Grand Bazaar served as venue for small businesses to promote and sell their products within the thoroughfares of Jaycees Avenue and SMRAA Complex front.

New business ideas and essential business strategies were imparted to more than 90 participants of the Negosyo Forum. Starting a profitable business, entrepreneurial mindset, surviving pitfalls of business, business opportunities, and economic impact on bamboo industry were among the topics given by lecturers from DTI Region XII.

During the Prosperous Business for the Masses or PBM’s Night, awards were conferred to the following; for the Year 2011 Developing Cooperatives title, awards were given to Joint Ventures for the medium coop category, KCES 1 Teachers Coop for the small coop category and to New Marbel Muti-Purpose Coop for the micro coop category. For the Outstanding Farmers Association, awardees were: Caloocan 4-H Club, Sto.Nino Organic Farmers Association, Paradise Organic Farm and Cordero Farm. The title for the Outstanding Business Taxpayers 2011 and Outstanding Real Property Taxpayers 2011 were awarded to (4) four outstanding corporations and single proprietorship businesses with the highest business tax paid, prompt in their payment and with no arrears. For the Outstanding Real Business Taxpayers, awards went to RMN Center for Single Proprietorship, EMCOR for Coporate, Ms.Lydia Fabra in the field of residential/agriculture and Ms.Lucena Del Rosario for the Commercial/Industrial category.

To top the festival, for the whole month of October as the Grand Sale Month, majority of big commercial centers and SMEs offered their goods and services even up to 70% off the tag price.

Koronadal, driven by its recent award as finalist to the 2012 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aims to rise above global challenges in its pursuit to build business, facilitate trade and investments while equally working for a healthy environment and the safety and security of its people.

By: Carol M.

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More Business, More Fun in Koronadal

With its strategic location, vibrant tourism and favorable environment for business, Koronadal aims at doing business “more fun” in the city as it celebrates its 12^th Charter Anniversary and 2^ndNegosyo Festival on October 1-8, 2012 with this year’s theme, “More Business, More Fun”.

Setting stage all that is vibrant and entrepreneurial in and around the city, the Negosyo Festival gives small business owners the opportunity to showcase their product and services while availing of valuable networking opportunities to help them learn new skills and develop new ideas to boost productivity and sales.

To top the festival, the whole of October every year is Koronadal Grand Sale month where big commercial centers and even the SMEs offer their goods and services up to 70% off the tag price.  Hence consumers will enjoy quality products and services at low, low prices and “shop till they drop”. Eventually, this will help local entrepreneurs expand their markets.

Meanwhile, the weeklong celebration opens with a Motorcade within the urban center followed by an opening program and opening of Cooperatives Month.

The festival features Eco Industrial Tourism and Trade Expo which offers businesses the chance to exhibit, network and create business opportunities. The Trade Fair at Gaisano Grand Mall of Koronadal on October 1-8 will feature the motorcycle and car industry, one-town-one-product, appliance centers, airlines/travel agencies, tourism/hotel/resorts/inn and agri products and machineries Meanwhile, the Koronadal Grand Bazaar will start early on September 24 until October 15. It will serve as platform for small businesses to promote and sell their products within the thoroughfare of Jaycees Avenue.

On October 2, the launching of Koronadal Eco Tourism, Siok Falls for Extreme River-Trekking Adventure will take place at Siok, Barangay Mabini to introduce the area as one tourism destination.

To improve the investment climate, activities like Mabilis na Proseso sa Pagnenegosyo where people could attend to their needs concerning the city’s services in just one place including Koronadal Jobs Fair and LibrengTawag  shall also be on the menu.

The public market will hold the Palengke Festival  featuring  the Search for Cleanest and Orderly Shed, KOMAVA Day and the Search for Pogi at Byuti ng Mercado.

A Negosyo Forum will be conducted on September 5 at Gaisano Grand Mall to create opportunities for Koronadalenos to learn essential business strategies and ideas on how to start or run their own businesses.

As part of the business activity, the LGU will make the government services accessible to the people through the Grand Programang Bayanihan Para sa Mamamayan or Grand PBM  combined with the Kasalan ng Bayan and Anniversary Program on October 8 at the Rizal Park.

Other fun-filled activities, shows, tournaments and competitions are also lined- up for the people to participate and enjoy including Green Film Watching at Gaisano Grand Mall to give tribute to Mother Nature.

City Mayor Peter B. Miguel is positive that the festival will help build business and will facilitate trade and investments driven by the city’s winning edges in 2003 as Most Competitive Small-sized City and Most Business-Friendly City in 2006.

By: Caroline G. Mariano

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Task Force Fast tracks Lot Selection for New City Public Cemetery

Being one among the priority thrusts of  his administration for the year 2012-2013, Mayor Peter B. Miguel ordered the Task Force for the establishment of the new Koronadal Public Cemetery, through its lot selection committee, to fast track the selection of the site. Two consecutive consultations on July 17 and 22 were conducted by the Committee with the homeowners of Purok Sto.Niño, Barangay Paraiso to discuss issues and concerns regarding the said project.

Due to the diminishing space for burying in the old cemetery, the amount of PhP3M was appropriated for lot purchase of the new cemetery as approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.  According to Mayor Miguel, he wanted the new public cemetery to offer the frills of a private graveyard yet low-income people could still afford it.

Mr.Benito Quirao, the City General Services Officer-in-charge (CGSO) and head of the Task Force secretariat, said that early last year, an invitation to sell was posted and broadcasted to invite lot owners to offer their properties for sale to the city government provided they conformed with the criteria set by the City and the HLURB. After narrowed land search and assessments, members of  the Lot Selection Committee indentified one probable location, the 3.5-hectare lot at  Purok  Sto.Nino,  and  initially identified the same as physically and operationally best-suited for the purpose.

According to Mr.Quirao, the proposed site passed the zoning classification  of open space, not within SAFDZ, not tenanted, not covered by CARP, not prime agricultural land and not irrigated.

When asked about the final site selection and when construction would begin, Mr. Quirao explained that after the selection process, appraisal would follow and subsequently, the lot purchase; site development plans come next.

 
As part of the City’s development plans and as revealed by Mayor Miguel, the old cemetery would be transformed into a Memorial Park like that of  Tagum City Memorial Park and Koronadal Golden Valley.

Meanwhile, the CGSO is currently updating and verifying  the lease contracts of existing burial lots and niches in the old cemetery and is also enjoining the public to have their lease contracts renewed and payments updated to avoid penalties.

 
By: Caroline Mariano

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STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS PHOTOS

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123 RESOUNDING APPLAUSE FOR MAYOR MIGUEL’S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

City Mayor Peter Miguel received 123 resounding applause during his State of the City Address (SOCA) last July 9, making this year’s SOCA his most applauded speech.

Mayor Miguel held his audience captive at the South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center for a speech which ran 2 hours long including adlibs. Thousands of spectators and guest officials coming from the provincial government and the neighboring municipalities, heads and employees of the regional offices, academe, business sector and civil society graced the occasion.

In his speech, the Mayor painted a full picture of the current development of the city using the model of Productivity and Ecological Balance Towards Economic-social Recovery (PETER) agenda which follows a set of strategies for the attainment of each development thrust. The mayor said that he was compelled to introduce changes and innovations to the city’s current development framework to provide a clearer, doable and sustainable climate change responsive development direction for the city. It is where the Green Economy was introduced to create a sustainable development approach leading towards economic-social recovery. 

“This is the development that we want for Koronadal, a socio-economic development that does not compromise the needs of the  future generation”, Mayor Miguel said.

The Mayor presented a long list of accomplishments in which he highlighted the city’s intensified local revenue collection with highest efficiency attained in both real property tax and local revenue collection and was duly recognized by the Bureau of the Local Government Finance Region XII of the Department of Finance. “I am happy to inform you that our efforts have brought  a huge 62% increase in our income  from local revenues; from only about P90.5M in 2010 to more than P146M in 2011”,Mayor Miguel emphasized. “We wanted to increase  local revenues by more efficient tax collection campaign in order to give back more social services and infrastructure to our people, and we did”, he added.

With the present population of 166,465 in 2011, the Mayor explained that the city government was able to spend about P4,228 per person last year, which is higher than the national average expenditure per capita of P3,387.96. Further he called for all Koronadaleños to work even harder to gradually free the city from too much IRA dependency.

Mayor Miguel acknowledged the Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod led by City Vice Mayor Eliordo U.Ogena for their full legislative support through the appropriation of financial and technical resources to facilitate the implementation of programs and projects. He cited with gratefulness the full support as well of his department heads and all the personnel of the City government. He also recognized the well-performing barangay government units who excelled in the Dangal ng Barangay evaluation.

Towards the end of his speech, the Mayor enumerated the various citations  that the city garnered  for its excellent performance  and innovations in governance in 2011 and in early 2012 which included among others as BEST PREPARED  LOCAL RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT COUNCIL  IN REGION XII, qualifying  the city for the national GAWAD KALASAG AWARD;  Silver Recipient of the Seal of Good Housekeeping in the country qualifying the city as a contender for the regional “GAWAD PAMANA NG LAHI”, an award for excellence in local governance; BEST PRACTICE IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE-PARTNERSHIP (PPPP), having implemented  the first successful BOT project on ICT; LGU with the HIGHEST EFFICIENCY IN BOTH  REAL PROPERTY TAX AND BUSINESS TAX COLLECTIONS IN REGION XII; HALL OF FAMER for NUTRITION HONOR AWARD AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

Being the son of Former City Mayor Fernando Q. Miguel, the longest-serving mayor in the province, Mayor Peter Miguel also revealed his feelings of apprehension that he could be merely performing as a shadow of the many good things his father did after he accepted the challenge of  leading the city. Yet, after his 2 years in service he said he too had set a unique imprint in shaping Koronadal.

City Mayor Miguel also outlined his priorities for the rest of 2012 and for 2013 offering a glimpse into the future by highlighting some upcoming projects. To a great applause and awe of the audience, he cited the construction of the city’s Integrated Transport Terminal at Purok Yellow Bell, Brgy.Sta.Cruz and the transformation of Rizal Park into a wholesome theme park among others, all viewed in virtual presentation.

In conclusion, the Mayor said, “We will continue to work the hardest, and we will not rest, not for a second, until we have fulfilled  the promise and possibility of this great city for every Koronadaleño”.

The speech, delivered mostly in Ilonggo as the common dialect in the city and supported with an audio-visual presentation, was met with a standing ovation.

In a radio interview, Miguel said that during his speech, there was a streak of stirred emotion in him when he said that the greatest accolade for all the accomplishments should go to all the constituents being his inspiration for all his hard work.

Meanwhile, Mayor Miguel speech received positive comments and appreciation from spectators coming from the different sectors. Father Ricardo Pajarillo, Jr. from the local Catholic parish of the City commended the administration’s accomplishments which focused on the integral development of the people giving emphasis on his capability as a leader able to respond to the demands and challenges of today. Likewise, Mr. Carlito Uy of the business sector gave the Mayor a good deal of credit for meeting the expectations of the business sector by establishing good public-private partnership.

PRIORITY THRUSTS: MOVING FORWARD TO 2012-2013

Ø  The construction of the city’s first ever Integrated Transport  Terminal  at Purok Yellow Bell, B/Sta.Cruz  tops the City of Koronadal’s agenda with significant features of green architecture and facilities, use of natural ventilation, use of natural lighting (skylight)and LED lights, provision of adequate green open spaces, preservation and integration in the design of the land’s  existing natural water bodies and natural features.

Ø  Conduct  of 3^rd Tree Growing Festival on June 29,2013 with bolder goals and bigger targets of 500,000 forest and fruit trees on 2,000 hectares of upland forest along Roxas and Quezon Mountain Ranges

Ø  Urban Greening and Redevelopment Program

Ø  Enhancement of Rizal Park with environment and child-friendly facilities and family-oriented spaces

Ø  Improvement of the public market including our Satellite Market or the “Chinatown” to make them competitive with the big malls

Ø  Development of Old City Hall into  a Prime Cultural Center

Ø  Procurement of  2 lots for the proposed Establishment of Sanitary Landfill and Relocation of Public Cemetery

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