BALANGA City- This component city of Bataan has recorded a steady increase in revenues for the past years, City Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia 3rd said Saturday.
He said that the city government grossed P6.4 billion in 2014, mostly coming from increased activities in major enterprises, compared to P6.1B in 2012 and P5.9B in 2011.
A big bulk of the income came from the gross sales of the businesses that amounted to P5.5B, business taxes for P53.4 million and total investments on infrastructures for P859M or a total of P6.412B. “Investors make our economy more vigorous so we have to entice more of them,” Garcia said.
The mayor reported that most of the sources of the city’s income increased compared to 2012 including the real property tax, economic enterprise, and internal revenue allotment among others. Under the economic enterprise, the income from the Galeria Victoria mall, Tiendas de San Jose, public market, and from plaza kiosks amounted to P51 million compared to P43 million in 2012, he said.
The flourishing of business enterprises in the city has generated employment opportunities for hundreds of not only residents but job seekers from neighboring towns.Companies engaged in information technology and business process outsourcing firms like Software Ventures and Mobile Edge and commercial establishments Jollibee, Chowking, Puregold and Robinsons were among the big takers of workers, Jose Garcia of the Philippine Information Agency provincial office reported.
PIA said that through the help of the City Employment Services Office (CESO), about 3,530 job hunters were able to get a career. Over 7,600 individuals were registered in the City of Balanga Jobs Online Website which will match them to job providers.
The city mayor added that a job readiness assessment will be integrated in the Barangay Week program wherein CESO staff will help citizens in barangays to find jobs.
“The progress of the city will only be sustainable if businesses will continue to grow and increase because these are that give jobs to our people,” Mayor Garcia said.
