ZAMBOANGA CITY - City Mayor Celso Lobregat disclosed Saturday that the city government has initially appropriated at least P5 million to develop Sta. Cruz Island into another tourist attraction in this city. Lobregat said the initial appropriation is included in the P140.7-million Supplemental Budget No. 2, which the City Council approved during its special session before the weekend. "We are prepared to develop Sta. Cruz Island, if and when we will be able to get the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA)," the mayor said. Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim had earlier agreed in principle to turn over the management of Sta. Cruz Island to the city government here. "We are now working on the memorandum and hopefully, the actual transfer could take place within this year," Lim said during his visit to the city last week for the unveiling of Plaza del Pilar here. Lobregat said that the development of parks and gardens has been identified as one of the priorities of the city government as early as 2007 as indicated in the City Development Strategies (CDS). "So we are just complying with our commitment to the people," Lobregat said in reply to his critics who are opposed to the supplemental budget, which also includes a P25-million appropriation for a state-of-the-art fountain to be constructed at Paseo del Mar Lobregat said Paseo del Mar, which is currently undergoing further site development, and Plaza del Pilar have become favorite sites where people visit to unwind at night.
According to Lobregat, the second supplemental budget also contains appropriations for the purchase of about 10 vehicles for the villages, construction of more school buildings, a blood bank of the Red Cross which costs P7 million, an archive in San Roque, development of the historic Plaza Pershing in this city, and other infrastructures. "They can say what they want to say, and think what they want to think. Our perennial critics are sad if the people are happy and they are happy if the people are sad," he said, apparently referring to his critics. "They can see where the money is going. Everybody can see where the money is going and everybody is happy with how it is going," he said. "Ours is an administration of performance and we are very proud to show what we have accomplished and to be accomplished," he added.
