9th SP's legacy, Tagbi poised prime eco-cultural tourism hub in Asia by 2015

Members of the Ninth Sangguniang Panlungsod of Tagbilaran City count as boldest legacy to leave, it's leverage to steer a once small city en route to becoming a prime eco-cultural tourism hub in Asia in 2015. This, as the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) cited Tagbilaran City as one of the 20 competitive cities in the country with barely three years having the 9th set of city councilors in the legislative service.

The AIM also acknowledged the city for topping in catering for a better quality of life among all small cities in the country, based on its social services in education, health, children's welfare, peace and order and environment. Moreover, the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) has recognized the city for its “comprehensive developmental goals and programs and exceptionally good governance”.

For the city's development, the 9th SP passed a total 674 measures, conducted a total of 173 sessions, and had prodded hundreds of people to participate in a total of 412 committee meetings and public hearings, according to an executive summary of the SP's accomplishments as it nears the finish line. Development legislations comprise 60 percent of the measures passed which include the Revised City Administrative Code, Revised Assessment of Real Property, Revised Traffic Code, City Children's Welfare Code and The Road Network of the City's New Growth Center .

Also according to the executive summary that the 9th SP issued, “there are top 20 key developmental legislations now packaged as the city's project briefs which core are the Blue Card Program, The Multiple Intelligence Integration in Public Day Care Centers, The Botika sa Katawhan, The Participation of Civil Society in Governance and the Barangay Development Plans”. The 9th SP had also passed the Participatory Governance Ordinance which allows the People's Council to effectively take part in legislation.

Once in every quarter, the People's Council joins the SP session to bring fresh concerns from the different sectors they represent, the 9th SP reported. The 9th SP considers the drafting of the City Children's Code and the Protection of Mabaw Reef Ordinance as the most significant demonstration of participatory governance. For the City Children's Code, children were consulted, while for the Protection of Mabaw Reef Ordinance, fisherfolks were given the opportunity to raise their woes.

Other than the quantitative accomplishment, the Holy Name University Research Center 2006 Poll Survey also revealed that 62 percent of the Tagbilaran City population rated the 9th SP high for its performance to signify high acceptance score. The achievement has been attributed to the “competent and hardworking” members of the 9th SP who were able to transcend political boundaries by forging “effective partnership with the city mayor, key city officials, stakeholders and barangay councils” in formulating the Executive Legislative Agenda (ELA) “as early as October 2004”. In implementing the ELA, the 9th SP passed legislations “that are sustainable and are felt by the people”. To perfect and expand the ELA, the 9th SP entered into solidarity missions with ISA, and developed scorecards with sectoral groups and star projects with government key persons to formulate the City Roadmap for 2015.

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