Quezon City is not only the largest City in Metro Manila. It is also the richest in the country.
The city government is headed by Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. He was elected City Mayor in 2001 and will serve in that capacity until 2010. When Mayor Belmonte was elected in 2001, he inherited a bankrupt govenrment. The city was heavily indebted and unable to pay more than 1 billion pesos in maturing obligations. The city was poorly managed and could not deliver the basic services to the residents.
In less than three years, Mayor Belmonte succeeded in turning the city into the richest in the country. How did he do it? He first intituted the needed reforms like streamlining and computerizing the revenue generating offices of the city government. He was able to develop a data base that contain 400 thousantd property units capable of serving 20,000 taxpayers-transactions per day. Then he streamlined the garbage collection and payment system of the city and made substantial savings with the new system that was instituted. He also instituted needed reforms to fight graft and corruption in all oprerating departments.
One major consideration that led to the enrichment of the city coffers was the innovative and agreesive collection efforts of the city treasury of all real estate tax dues from its residents. Together with his trusted City Treasurer, Vic Endriga, he was able to get the cooperation of the residents to settle their real estate tax dues by offering various incentives including discounts and attractive payment terms. He also made the tax payment system easy for the taxpayers by providing airconditioned payment lounges with free coffee and other things that made the taxpayers comfortable.
Once the revenues were generated as a result of the innovations that were adapted, the Mayor started fast track projects that directly affect the residents, like garbage collection, concreting of roads, putting up markets, schools and other utilities that the residents need.
The innovative policies that were adapted by the Mayor were so effective that the residents immediately took notice of them. With this new business environment, the city continues to generate more revenues from business as well as resident taxpayers.
Because of the healthy financail condition of the city, the Mayor has embarked on a massive infrastrature build up for the city which include building of business parks, IT and call centers, roads, schools, markets and other services designed to attract more investments for the city.