The Mayor

 

FLORENCIO "JUN" BERNABE, JR.

CITY MAYOR OF PARAÑAQUE (2004 - PRESENT)

 

Mayor Florencio M. Bernabe Jr. was born on February 5, 1948 to Lourdes Mayuga Bernabe and Atty. Florencio V. Bernabe, Sr., who himself was the longest-tenured Mayor of Parañaque. Jun Bernabe studied elementary in St. Paul College and St. Andrew School of Parañaque and finished high school at Ateneo de Manila. He completed his Bachelor of Arts at De La Salle University and pursued further studies at the University of Asia and the Pacific where he earned his Masters Degree in Business Economics.

 Being an active member of the business community and equally involved in charitable works before entering public service, Mayor Bernabe serve as president of Parañaque "Pambato" Jaycees and later became a Jaycee International Senator in 1991. He was hailed as the Most Outstanding President of Rotary International District 3810 in 1993 and capped his service at the Rotary International as chairman of the District Conference 2003.

He is an active member of the Knights of Columbus, Pagkabuhay Council 7147, Parish of Resurrection in BF Homes.

A long-time resident of Parañaque, Jun Bernabe lives in Barangay BF Homes with his wife Maria Fe "Girlie" Bernabe. Jun and Girlie have four children namely Jennifer Bernabe-Ko, M.D., a medical graduate of the University of Santo Tomas; Felicia Lulu Bernabe-Calleja, a graduate of Early Child Education at Assumption College; Florencio Benjamin Bernabe III, a Management graduate from DLSU; and Juan Carlos Bernabe who, apart forum his business management degree in the Philippines completed a culinary arts studies in London England.

Being a nature lover, Mayor Jun Bernabe enjoys spending time at his farm and playing golf in his spare time.

Prior to his stint in government service, he served as president of Berma Center (Shopping Mall); president of Spic ‘n Span Service Corp; chairman of the board of Amuvision Entertainment Inc., (cinema); president of Paradise Farm; and an outstanding member of the Parañaque Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Following his father's illustrious career and enjoying the popular mandate of his fellow-Parañaqueños, he was elected and served as City Vice-Mayor from 1998 through 2001 then re-elected and completed his second term from 2001 to 2004.

Having served the city and his constituents well, he posted a proven-track record as public servant. The increasing level of trust and confidence of the people in him paved the way for a win in the May 10, 2004 polls. He was re-elected City Mayor in the succeeding election in 2007, again by a landslide win.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

* Parañaque is clean, essentially one of the cleanest cities in the entire country. After bailing Parañaque out of a long-standing garbage crisis left unresolved by the past administration, the city government adopted an effective waste management program that keeps the city tidy and ecology-friendly.

* Our roadways are now safe even at nighttime. After settling the enormous debt of the past administration with Meralco, the city government had the lampposts at the traffic center islands rehabilitated while adding new ones. These are complemented by the luminescence of the new streetlights that have been set on the newly restored sidewalks.

* Parañaque is beautiful as it is environmentally friendly. A lush of green and myriad of blossom, added to the well-maintained roads and good traffic management policies make travels in the city comfortable and convenient.

* Parañaque City's public school system is attaining new heights with the completion of four new 4-storey school buildings, particularly in barangays where there used to be none.

*The Florencio V. Bernabe Sr. Memorial Hospital formerly Parañaque Community Hospital (PCH) that had been neglected during the past administrations has been renovated and...expanded. It now has an additional 4-storey building, modern equipment and increased bed capacity.

*The local government continues to build modern health centers to better meet the needs of the city's ever-growing population. Similarly, an additional lying-in facility has been built in the city's second district to discourage home birthing; and reduce infant mortality as well as maternal deaths if incidence cannot totally be prevented.

* A modern Parañaque City Jail was built as a secure, spacious and humane facility for inmates. The local police and fire protection contingents will soon be moving in to their new headquarters as a multi-level building that suits the needs of these protective service bureaus gets completed. A new eight-storey Legislative Building and Hall of Justice will rise soon in the city.

* Parañaque is a peaceful community. The city has a low-crime index and its police force has an excellent crime solution efficiency rating. This is mainly due to the local PNP's vigilance and dedication to duty - values that are enhanced by the tremendous support, in form of patrol cars, motorcycles, fuel, communication equipment, arms and ammunition plus a system of recognition, extended by the city government.

* Investment conditions have improved greatly with the enactment of City Ordinance No. 014, series of 2007 declaring the Parañaque part of the Bay Reclamation Area as a Special Investment District (SID) where an ambitious, large-scale and mixed-land use development is unfolding, promising an influx of local and foreign capital and thousands of jobs for the residents.

* Parañaque has a kind and caring city government. It supports barangay government units and continuously helps in building their capabilities by way of donations of ambulances and dump trucks, construction of barangay halls and through other means.

* Paranaque is now widely-known as one of the best sources of manpower in the country. It has a TESDA-accredited training center that offers short courses in priority skills that the various industries need. This training component is backed up by a referral based-placement system plus job fairs conducted in partnership with the private sector.

* The improved collection efficiency and fiscal management has enabled the city government to pare down the gigantic debt of the past administration. It has consistently been able to fund projects and extend to city employees their benefits in full.

* Paranaque will soon be squatter-free. The city government's program for the marginalized sector of the community is working well. Its partnership with the Presidential Commission for Urban Poor (PCUP), Social Housing Finance Corp (SHFC), Habitat for Humanity, Gawad Kalinga (GK), Save the Children Foundation, other government agencies, non-government organizations and well-meaning corporations has given birth to numerous socialized housing projects that benefited thousands of poor families in the city.

* A regular supply of clean water now flows in many parts of BF Homes and the pipe-laying work therein continues to the appreciation of the residents in the various enclaves that make up the subdivision which prior to Maynilad's entry had been waterless for more than two decades.

* The present administration, alongside government agencies and NGOs has taken concrete steps to protect the environment, "save" its remaining valuable natural resources and contribute to the global effort against global warming.

 All these programs and projects are meant as service to the citizens of the city and to cultivate genuine Pride in Parañaque. The future holds more of the same with PROJECT H.E.L.P.S. - Health - Education - Livelihood - Peace and Order - Social Development.

 

                                                                                                                      

CITATIONS and AWARDS

2009 Bureau of Local Government Finance Citation for being ranked No. 1 in revenue collection among local government units in the National Capital Region after making an aggregate revenue collection of Php 2.02 billion during the calendar year 2008; posting a record-high 110.7% collection efficiency rating; and being the only LGU in the NCR that exceeded the targets for four major revenue sources.

2009 Rotary International District 3830 Rotarians as Community Builders Award for comprehensive achievements as Chief Executive of a leading metropolitan city, especially in the fields of public health, basic education and good governance.

2009 distinction for having established 30 Gawad Kalinga communities in the city. The record makes Parañaque the second best LGU in the National Capital Region in the implementation of its socialized housing program for the city's urban poor.

2008 Award for Healthy City with Good Dynamics and Award for Creative Development in Healthy Cities given by the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) and World Health Organization (WHO) during the 3rd Global Conference in Ichikawa Japan.

2008 (19th) Annual National Consumer Union of the Philippines Award for Outstanding Mayor

2007 PCCRP-AIM (Phil. Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project-Asian Institute of Management) Citation, having been ranked 6th in the list of "Top Metro Cities" <also ranked 1st in the roster of "emerging cities"> and fondly referred to in business circles as "a Most Promising City".

2007 Civil Service Commission Public Service Audit Delivery Awards (PASADA) for Best Practices by the Parañaque Business Permits and Licensing Office and the Cash Division of the Treasurer's Office

2006 LGU-Coop Partnership Award with the San Dionisio Credit Cooperative, Inc.

2006 Alliance of Healthy Cities Award for Progressive Cities with Great Potentials

2006 Local Government Leadership Award - Outstanding City Mayor of the Philippines

2006 Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Fiscal Management Award

2006 Consumer Union of the Philippines Public Servant Award

2006 Anvil Award of Excellence in Public Relations for Environmental Protection