THE Taguig City government officially became a debt-free local government unit for 2019, ending 2018 with its last payment on a P1.6-billion loan incurred by the previous administration.
A total of P1,226,609,848 in loans plus P388,859,293 in interest was incurred under the previous administration which Taguig City Mayor Lani L. Cayetano’s administration fully paid as of December 7, 2018, said Atty. Voltaire Enriquez, officer in charge of the City Treasury Office.
“We preterminated all our loans with LandBank because, by the end of 2018, Mayor Lani wanted that the next administration would not have to suffer the same fate she suffered when she took on the administration in 2010,” he noted.
According to Enriquez, to wipe clean the debt slate of the local government, the Cayetano administration set aside funds annually for the debts. To start in 2011, for example, P220 million of the P3,745,000,000 total budget allotted to Taguig went to debt payment.
Eyeing a debt-free status, the city government avoided luxury and made sure funds were used efficiently, said Enriquez. “Take this example from the previous administration: imported mobile garbage bins that cost a debt of over P100 million. We did not engage in those things.”
City Hall did not undertake the austerity measures at the cost of delivery of efficient and more expansive services, the official noted. On the contrary, the administration continued to prioritize essentials, such as health, education and
social services.
The previous P5-million budget for scholarships was increased by P100 million yearly from 2011 to 2016. In 2018 the budget for scholarships was at P650 million. Because of this investment, more than 47,000 post-high school scholars enjoyed free education in about 200 colleges and universities.
Students from all public schools in Taguig also enjoy free education. Parents do not need to worry about paying any fee or spending for the needs of their children as the city provides free school uniforms, bags, shoes, emergency grab bags, hygiene kits and raincoats. New, modern and conducive buildings with air-conditioned classrooms were also constructed in public schools.
In health, pioneering programs were introduced such as Super Health Centers which are open 24/7, door-to-door delivery of maintenance medicines for asthma, hypertension and diabetes, as well as other medical equipment like wheelchairs, crutches and hearing aids, doctors who are ready to respond to any medical emergency at any time through the Doctor-On-Call program, therapists and nurses who visit bedridden patients in their homes through the Home Health program, and door-to-door anti-rabies vaccination for cats and dogs, among others.
Senior citizens’ birthday cash gift was increased to as much as P5,000, and senior citizens get free eye checkups and prescription glasses through the Oplan Linaw program. Similarly, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are given birthday cash gifts and provided with jobs to help them sustain their daily needs. Burial assistance was also increased to P20,000.
Attaining the debt-free status while delivering more services was made possible not only with proper budgeting and expenditure but also by increasing revenues, said Enriquez. Taxes were not raised but steps were taken to improve collection and provide an investment-friendly environment.
The city started the yearly Business One-Stop Shop which allows for processes for renewing business licenses and registrations to be streamlined. The BOSS has earned a Blue Certification Award from the Office of the Ombudsman indicating that it passed the anti-graft agency’s standards to hasten the process and provide ease in doing business in Taguig.