SB Biography
08 December 2008
FELICIANO BELMONTE, JR.
Mayor of Quezon City
Most Outstanding Mayor of the Philippines 2003
Speaker of the House of Representatives 2001
Congressman, 4th District of Quezon City, 1992–2001
Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. has been mayor of Quezon City since June 2001.
A three-term congressman
Before he became mayor, Belmonte was elected representative of the 4th Congressional District of Quezon City and held the position for three consecutive terms. Belmonte was Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2001and also served as House Minority Leader. In his first two terms, he was the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.
A CEO successful at financial turnarounds
His reputation for successfully turning around financially struggling government corporations into viable and highly profitable enterprises was highlighted in the period from 1986 to 2001, when Philippine President Corazon Aquino assigned him to become President and General Manager of the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) and the Manila Hotel and chairman of the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines.
He also represented the government as member of the board of directors of the San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Long Distance and Telecommunications Company (PLDT). More importantly, he assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Airlines, which was then wholly owned by the Philippine government. All these were among the top 10 corporations in the country.
A three-term mayor of Quezon City
As mayor of Quezon City, his eight years of prudent fiscal management, aggressive tax management strategies, as well as increasing efficiency and growing discipline in the management and use of City resources has made Quezon City the most competitive city of Metro Manila and the second in the Philippines today. These are rankings made by businessmen in the Philippines in studies of the Asian Institute of Management, in cooperation with international agencies.
Quezon City was cited for the dynamism of its local economy, the quality of life of its residents and the responsiveness of the local government in addressing business needs, among others.
In 2007, Quezon City was ranked No. 7 Asian City of the Future, based on a survey commissioned by the London Financial Times through a consultancy based in Singapore.
In a 2008 Tholons special report on global services, Quezon City ranked as the number 21 emerging global outsourcing city, the highest among all nine new entrants.
Belmonte has guided Quezon City to pioneer in many areas:
· 1st to computerize revenue collection and assessment function
· 1st to grant to barangays (community-level local government unit), full fiscal control over their share of real property tax collections
· 1st LGU to develop an extensive and continuous training curriculum for barangay leaders
· 1st to institutionalize Citywide citizen participation in governance thru the City Development Council
· 1st Urban Center to implement the Solid Waste Management Act
· 1st to use Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as biogas-reduction strategy and revenue generation mechanism from waste
· 1st to operate the Biogas Emission Reduction Project as the first clean development mechanism (CDM) project in solid waste management in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia.
· 1st LGU to manage an advanced computer training center
· 1st to enact a Gender and Development Code for the protection of women and children
The Belmonte formula for development for 2007-2010 is spelled out clearly in his ABC of Development, which underscores his priority thrusts:
· Alleviate poverty
· Build up the city
· Compete on efficiencies
This formula is intended to create a more competitive Quezon City, able to spread the gains of development to all constituents.
Recent awards and citations received
Belmonte’s governance of Quezon City has been recognized through the following prominent awards:
· 2009 Galing Pook Award for the La Mesa Eco Park Development Project (Galing Pook Foundation)
· 2008 Galing Pook Award for the Payatas Dumpsite Transformation Project (Galing Pook Foundation)
· 2005 CEO Excel Award in Communication Leadership for Government
· 2005 Galing Pook Award for Outstanding Government Program, Molave Youth Home (Galing Pook Foundation)
· 2003 Galing Pook Award for Effective Fiscal Management (Galing Pook Foundation)
· “Most business-friendly city” awardee for 2003, 2004 and Hall of Famer in 2005 (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
· 2003 Livable Community Award (Metrobank Foundation)
· 2003 Kabalikat sa Pabahay Award for the Local Government Unit with the Most Number of Community Mortgage Programs (Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council)
He has also received the following personal recognition:
· 2003 Most Outstanding City Mayor (Local Government Leadership Awards)
· Huwarang Pilipino Awardee for Local Governance (Huwarang Pilipino Foundation)
· CEO Excel Awards for Communications Excellence in the Government Sector, 2006
· Outstanding Filipino in Government Service of the Philippine Jaycees and Insular Life Philippines, 2002
· Outstanding Congressman of the 9th, 10th and 11th Congress
· Gintong Ama Awardee in 1993
· Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Manila
· Model Filipino Awardee of the World Family Institute in 1994
· Outstanding Alumni (Lyceum of the Philippines)
· Benedictine Centennial Awardee (San Beda College)
Before joining government, he practiced law and engaged in civic activities.
At the age of 16, he started working as a reporter for a national newspaper.
In 1976, he was World President of Jaycees (JCI) International. He was also a three-time delegate of the Philippines to the International Labor Organization.
Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, Jr. was born in Manila on October 2, 1936 to Court of First Instance Judge Feliciano Belmonte, Sr. and his wife Luz.
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