NOTE: This story was first published in The Bohol Chronicle’s Sunday print edition.

Tagbilaran City continues to soar in economic improvement and is even now ready to welcome SM City.

Mayor John Geesnell Yap confirmed that the coming in of City Mall is an equivalent of SM City also coming in, contrary to allegations that influential hands have been blocking SM City into the province.

Yap clarified that City Mall is 33-percent owned by SM City.

The mayor also reported that the city revenues have tripled under his watch.

“When I stepped in as city mayor in 2013, our annual budget was only P400 million lang. But this year, the annual budget of Tagbilaran City already reached P1.1 Billion. Mao na nga daghan mi’g kwarta nga ipanghatag padung sa mga barangays,” according to Yap.

In fact, the city government has allocated P750,000 for the Liga ng mga Barangay-Tagbilaran City chapter which the barangay captains can use for their various activities, considering that they need to convene from time to time to discuss the concerns of their constituents.

“And to prove my  point nga importante gyud kaayo ni sila, gigahinan gyud gihapon nato og budget sa syudad sa Tagbilaran para sa aid to barangay,” Yap said.

The city government allocated a total of P25 million for aid to the barangays.

“Ang kinatibuk-ang total ani mobalor og P25 million. Mao ni sya ang aid to barangay nga gipanghatag nato. Example lang sa mga gipanghatag nato sa mga kapitanes nato, ilabi na sa ilang fiesta celebrations, bag-o lang ko nihatag og P450,000 sa barangay Bool para sa ilang fiesta celebration ni siya,” Yap said.

The mayor explained that the city government continues to target for higher revenues to be able to provide for the needs of the barangays.

“Mao na nga kinahanglanon gyud nato nga padakoon nato ang atong budget because in Tagbilaran, we believe nga kung ang atong LGU wa’y kwarta, ang atong mga plano ug damgo magpabilin ra gyud na sya nga plano ug damgo,” according to the mayor.

Aside from this, the mayor assured the barangay captains that the city government will continue to support the requests of barangays for support from the provincial government and even the senators.

“Di lang pod ta ana kutob. Maningkamot gihaponn ta, mag-andam mo sa inyong mga resolutions, mag-request ta sa atoang gobernador, sa atuang board members ug ilabi na sa atong senadores kay ang atong mga senators gusto gyud na sila mohatag. Ang atong mga kapitan gipangda nato na sa Senado, sa Congress kay magdala sila sa ilang mga resolutions. So, daghan kaayo ta’g nadawat gikan kang Senator Bong Go, gikan sa ubang mga senators,” according to the mayor.

He said he accompanied the barangay captains in their audience with some senators, to ensure that they get their projects and funds.

Yap also enumerated the projects that the city government had implemented in all the barangays, consistent with the hashtag, “#AsensoPaMore”.

The mayor reported that all the barangays are given multi-cabs, except for two that are yet to receive theirs.

“Usa or duha nalang ka barangays ang wala’y multi-cab. Gitagsaan gyud ni nato og multi-cabs ang mga barangays kay we believe nga importante gyud kaayo ang transportation,” Yap said.

All the barangays in Tagbilaran City have covered courts.

Barangay San Isidro even have five covered courts by now- -two in schools, one in the barangay, one at the daycare center and one in Lindaville.

Yap also reported that all the covered courts have been provided with electronic score boards.

“Para pod ni sa atoang mga SK, ang pondo gikan sa syudad sa Tagbilaran tag-P350,000 gipanghatagan pod nato,” according to the mayor.

The city government has also installed two giant ceiling fans in one of the covered courts in barangay San Isidro, worth P 1.2 million.

The mayor said the other barangays will also be given giant ceiling fans to be installed at their covered courts.

The city government will also construct covered courts in all public schools- -elementary schools and high schools- – as requested by the barangay captains.

Yap said that the covered courts can also be used as evacuation centers in times of disasters.

“Kay we believe in the importance of the covered courts not only for the school activities, graduation, ug uban pa, pero magamit nato ni simbako kung naay mga disasters nga moabot pod nato,” according to the mayors.

The city government will also allocate P5 million for the installation of an air-conditioning unit at the Cogon covered court.

All the elementary schools and high schools in the city are also provided by the city government with security guards to ensure the safety of the students.

The mayor also reported that the schools and the barangays are provided with CCTVs as deterrent to crimes.

The city government will also install air-conditioning units in all elementary schools, as also requested by the barangay captains.

The barangay captain of San Isidro, being a member of the School Board, had the advantage of getting it first for his barangay.