Former Mayor Belen presents her Team Belen-BK to supporters. (L to R): Michael Fernandez, Jigs Seen, Karlos Reyna, Diane Decano, Danila Cayabyab, Chito Samson, Bryan Kua, Belen Fernandez, Teresa Coquia, Dennis Canto, Guillermo Vallejos. And Joshua Bugayong. (Punchphoto by Butch Uka)

 

FORMER Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez said she decided to accept the challenge of many Dagupeños who seek her return to her old post after they expressed dismay and disappointment in the current city administration for failure to live up to its campaign promises in 2019.

This was underscored by Fernandez during the proclamation rally of the Belen-BK Team at the CSI helipad in Barangay Lucao that immediately followed after her long motorcade joined by more than 2,000 motorcycle riders the whole day of March 25.

“Ang daming tumawag sa akin, lahat nagsabi na kailangan ko nang bumalik upang maisalba ang Dagupan. Hindi ko sila, kayo matatalikuran”, Fernandez intoned.

She recalled that when she took over as mayor in 2013, Dagupan was almost broke with more than P30 million deficit in its finances and could not even pay its electric and water bills for several months; worse, salaries of employees then were delayed for three months.

“Dagupan was in the tail-end of the economic ladder among all cities in the whole nation because of its poor economic performance,” she said.

Fernandez told thousands of people cheering “Iyalagey su Baley” and “Isa Pa” (Once More) in that rally, that it was then when she realized that “the job of a mayor is really so depressing,”

She recalled her first meeting with the department heads when she apprised them of the sorry state of the city’s affairs and urged them and their employees to hold on and work  double-time to collect more taxes while adopting a belt-tightening policy.

After six months, her financial reforms began to pay off. She said the city government was able to settle overdue bills of Dagupan Electric Corporation, the Dagupan Water District and all payments due suppliers and contractors.

And before she left city hall in 2019, Dagupan became the richest city in Region1, joining for the first time in its history the  rank of billionaire cities in the country.

Fernandez said the daunting task of resuscitating a faltering economy will be her first priority if she regains her old post is to restore Dagupan’s distinction “as the richest city in Region 1.”

She said that on her first day in office, she will immediately vanish workers in the city government who were involved in “kotong”, who victimized vendors and businessmen and make Dagupan regain its image as “the most business-friendly city in Region 1.

“Corrupt employees have no place in my administration,” said Fernandez, recalling that she set up the Investment Development Board to ensure that any new investment coming to the city will be attended to immediately without a single favor asked.

She said the policy resulted in the entry of big ticket businesses such as the City Mall in Mayombo, SM Dagupan on M.H. Del Pilar Street, and the soon to be finished ACE  Hospital.

She added that the Filinvest in Lucao has already started developing a series of high-end condominiums, soon a park and a shopping mall, and a hotel on Arellano Street .

“Maraming investors ang dumating noong ating panahon kasi walang red tape, walang kotong at walang hininging kapalit sa kanila kahit isang sentimo,” she said.

She said the only request of the city to these businesses is to provide employment to the city’s people, especially the youth.

Fernandez said she will also continue the scholarship program that she started for the sons and daughters of poor families who cannot go to universities because of poverty. (She was the first mayor of Dagupan who gave scholarships to children of poor families in the city).

“Their parents came to me and asked me to help their children as they were too poor to send them to the universities. I obliged and look what happened, these scholars are now helping their families attain a better life,” Fernandez said.

She said many of her scholars already graduated and already earned gainful employment in many industries, some are now board passers, still others already migrated to the United States where they are now gainfully employed.

Under the present city administration, she said, the sons and daughters of poor families are badly being discriminated against. (Leonardo Micua)

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