Quezon City Mayor has proposed local legislations that will enable QC to face the challenges of the integration of the Philippines and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN into the ASEAN Economic Community or AEC.
During a special joint session of the city council, QC legislative-executive advisory council and city development council, the Mayor said that by December 31 this year, the 10 countries that make up the ASEAN will have to open their doors to one free market and production base.
In the AEC, “we will be in open competition with 418 other cities of ASEAN, including the dynamic city-state Singapore and megacity Jakarta ,” he said.
Mayor Bautista said we must face the challenges of such competition by reviewing our local policies that may be in conflict with national laws, and enhance those that are in sync or complimentary, especially those affecting several areas such as tourism, services and business process outsourcing.
He said: “From a policy and framework perspective, we need an updated Land Use Plan, a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance that will be more attuned to modern ideals of highly pedestrianized and well-linked, multi-use neighborhoods where business districts are more clearly defined.”
The Mayor also said that QC needs a tourism ordinance that will flesh out the city’s new Tourism development Plan.
“In line with out tourism development thrusts, let us reexamine our past Zero Amusement Tax for Films Ordinance. Let us determine now how to efficiently collect this tax and define its best use,” he said.
Mayor Bautista also proposed that QC should have an ordinance that will require all public buildings In QC, whether local or national government-owned, to be retrofitted, to adapt to climate change and disaster-risk considerations, and to adopt the use of renewable energy like solar power.
Posted By: Edrillan Pasion
