MAYOR Benjamin Lim has urged all members of the private sector to help the city of Dagupan realize its vision to become a premier center of Northern Luzon Region by year 2030.

In a talk with members of the private sector during a two-day consultative working session on Public Governance System, Lim said: “No city can attain new heights of prosperity and greatness without the help of its people.”

He said the private sector plays a crucial role in achieving the city’s dream to be a premier city of the North.

The consultation was attended by representatives from hotels, restaurants, schools and universities, hospitals, banks, religious groups, and the government and non-government sectors.

 Lim presented a road map designed to track the implementation of the 10-point action agenda set by him during his first term as mayor of Dagupan in 2001.

This same road map was presented by Lim during a conference organized by the Institute of   Solidarity of Asia where Dagupan was chosen as one of the cities that can become a “dream city”.

City Administrator Rafael Baraan said despite the fact that Dagupan is a very small city compared to its neighbors in Pangasinan, many developments already happened.

He cited the presence of big malls, hospitals, universities, and the beach which are the reasons, he said, why people and tourists continuously   come to the city.

But this is not enough. Baraan said, adding that the city must re-invent and renovate in order to attract more investors and tourists. He said this could only happen if the private sector will join hands with the government so that Dagupan will not become a ghost city.

“Let’s stop being fault-finders. Let’s do what we can do to make the city achieve its dream,” said Baraan.

In the city’s roadmap, Dagupan was envisioned by Lim to become the regional center of health, education, finance and aquaculture by 2010.

Lim said Dagupan shall also wrap up its title as the Bangus Capital of the World with the full completion soon of the Bangus Processing Plant.

Lim said by 2015, the city shall have redeveloped Tondaligan Park as a world-class tourist destination to reposition itself as regional government center.

Meanwhile, Robert Kuan, chairman of St. Lukes Hospital and founder of popular food chain Chowking, shared his personal experience as businessman and chairman of the country’s number one hospital.

“If you set your mind into what you really want to happen in your life, and couple it with efforts and determination, the word impossible will soon be possible,” said Kuan, an adopted son of Dagupan who was the guest of honor and speaker.

Kuan cited his own experiences when he succeeded in both the fields of medicine and business.

Mayor Lim said good governance should be coupled by good and responsible citizenship to make one’s dream possible.

He concluded by saying, “we share the same aspiration, but we should also share the same obligation for our city.”  – AQL

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