Butuan as "premier forest city" by 2020 says Mayor Amante

Within the span of six years period, Butuan Cty would be identified as the Philippine's premier ‘forest city’ thus getting its old tittle as Timber City.

BUTUAN, Phillipines - (EINPresswire via NewMediaWire) - February 6, 2014 - Within the span of six years period, Butuan Cty would be identified as the Philippine’s premier ‘forest city’ so seemingly getting back its old-time “brand name” as the Timber City of the South.

“Butuan City will soon fulfill the Vision 2020”, Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr told Gil B. Herico, agriculture attaché to United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the welcome dinner and meeting on Thursday as he added that It will soon become the premier “Forest City”

The said activity was also attended in some villages officials and heads of government agencies

Amante said that the city government would establish “a university, hotel and restaurants/cafes in the forest.”

The Mayor also revealed that the city government’s target on its 2020 Vision would include making Butuan City as an “island of good governance” by 2015. He added that the city would be prominent in the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as a “transformed city”.

To make it possible, according to the City Mayor they have line-up major strategies that include incorporating agriculture in the 2020 vision, enrolling the city’s18, 000 identified poor families to the 4Ps and PhilHealth. Amante added that the city government would also declare the month of August as a “Forest Festival” starting this year.

Other highlights on Amante’s speech also included the city government assurance that its budget is being aligned with the “Vision 2020”, enhancing its performance governance system, strategies performance monitoring system and balance scorecard monitoring system.

“Forty years ago, the city was branded as the Ancient Kingdom where the first mass in the Philippines was held, which later on becomes the Home of the Balangay, where excavation and its voyage were recorded. And now, the city will soon become the Premier Forest City, as we were also branded before as the Timber City of the South,” Amante said as quoted by the PIA report. (Written by Andres C. Pantaleon Jr )