Makati, a dynamic financial hub in the heart of the Philippines, stands as a beacon of urban progress. This bustling metropolis boasts a sprawling industrial zone along the regional beltway, a testament to its role as a home for both local enterprises and global corporations.

Think of the city as the epitome of modernity and commerce, where the movers and shakers of society live and thrive in business. It is often seen as the ultimate representation of modernity and bustling commerce, where influential individuals come together to lead and prosper.

Makati, a city that stands tall as one of the leading contributors to the country’s economy, sets a high standard as business model for other contemporary cities in the Philippines to emulate. It success is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of residents and businesses.

For years, the city’s remarkable achievements can be attributed to the dedicated leaders and diverse stakeholders who have driven its progress.

The city surpassed its 2023 revenue target by 39 percent, reaching P24,870,228,884.28 by 31 December. Local revenue sources comprised the bulk of collections, led by Business Tax with P12,534,245,251.42, reflecting a 37-percent increase over 2022.

For 2024, the city set its total revenue target at P18.3 billion, up by 2.8 percent from its 2023 revenue target of P17.8 billion.

Mayor Abby Binay thanked the Makati business community for its unwavering support, as it remains the city’s most significant revenue contributor.

According to BPLO’s records, 4,842 new businesses were registered in 2023, and 35,872 renewed their business permits. The new entrants brought P31.58 billion in capital investments, while the total gross sales of registered businesses reached P1.6 trillion.

Real Property Tax was the next top local revenue source in 2023, which reached P8,705,282,414.83, nearly seven percent higher than in 2022. Overall, the city’s local revenue sources posted a 22-percent increase, exceeding the target by 44 percent in 2023.

A caring LGU

With the increase in revenue comes the opportunity to develop and implement various new programs to enhance community members’ well-being and quality of life.

Last week, the city government distributed grocery packs to 35,371 students who completed the 2023-2024 school year at the city’s public schools, from Kindergarten to Senior High School, including Special Education. The annual initiative for the 2020-2021 school year serves as an incentive for public school students who completed their respective grade levels despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

The grocery packs, usually distributed in May, have become a highly anticipated tradition for Makati students. They contain nutritious and tasty food for students during the school break. A total of 19,750 packs have been distributed to 16 public elementary schools and 15,621 to eight high schools.

Binay said the local government wanted to show appreciation for students’ hard work and diligence and motivate them to do their best in their studies every school year until graduation.

Diagnostic Artificial Intelligence

Here’s good news for Yellow Card holders and their dependents under 18 years old. By the third quarter of the year, they can avail of the free Digital PET/CT scanner services at the Makati Life Medical Center.

The first of its kind in the country, the diagnostic machine offers improved image clarity for the early detection and treatment of cancer, heart diseases and neurological conditions.

Binay said acquiring a digital PET/CT scanner is a testament to the city government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that “Makatizens” have access to the best available healthcare technologies, providing residents a sense of security and reassurance.

The PET/CT uMI 550 uses advanced Artificial Intelligence to enhance diagnostic precision by reconstructing images from comprehensive total-body data. It allows for sharper, more accurate visuals, which leads to better-informed medical decisions.

Meanwhile. the 360-bed hospital will be fully operational by the end of the year.

Makati Life will house several specialized centers dedicated to various specialties, such as prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. The hospital will have a Cancer Center equipped with a linear accelerator for radiation therapies and a Cardiac Center that offers services like cardiac catheterization for angiography, open heart surgeries, and organ transplants.

War against drugs

The city government continues to pursue a relentless anti-drug campaign.

The Makati Police Department seized nearly P3.5 million worth of shabu during the year’s first quarter. It has reported a total of 510 grams of shabu confiscated during drug busts that led to the arrest of 35 pushers and 132 users.

Among the police force’s notable accomplishments are:

The arrest of 83 wanted persons;

The apprehension of 23,941 violators of various city ordinances; and

The confiscation of 33 loose firearms.

Equipment turned over to the police since 2022 included a brand new prisoner van, eight patrol vehicles, eight laptops, 10 desktop computers, five base radios, eight mobile radio equipment and essential search and rescue gear.

Binay said city has continued to implement a capacity-building program for police officers in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Seminar workshops have been conducted for police officers to ensure the proper conduct of buy-bust operations and strict adherence to procedures, promoting the successful prosecution of drug cases.

The city, through the Makati Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC), has been implementing various programs to prevent drug abuse and provide needed interventions for the rehabilitation of drug users and their social reintegration. These include intensive education campaigns, advocacy promotion among students and out-of-school youth and seminars for parents on positive discipline and other tools for effective parenting.MADAC also implements a treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare program for substance users, including children who test positive for drug use or are diagnosed with mild substance use disorder.

In terms of support for calamity-stricken victims, Makati extended financial assistance amounting to P47.5 million to 76 provinces, cities and municipalities affected by earthquakes, typhoons, and severe flooding last year. The recipients include 40 local government units (LGUs) hit by tropical cyclones Egay and Falcon in July last year, 17 LGUs severely flooded due to a combined shear line and low-pressure area in November, and 19 localities affected by strong earthquakes in November and December.

Barangay financial support

A total of 23 city barangays will get an additional P10 million share each this year from the city’s basic real property tax (RPT) collection following the transfer of the 10 EMBO (Enlisted Men’s Barrio) barangays to Taguig. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has also confirmed an average increase of 6.20 percent in their final National Tax Allotment (NTA) allocations this year.

Excluding the EMBO barangays has resulted in more significant allocations for each of the 23 remaining barangays from the city’s essential RPT collections and the NTA. It means that P10,085,043.77 had been added to the RPT share of each of the 23 barangays after the EMBO barangays were excluded from the 50-percent equal sharing.

There is an average increase of 6.2 percent in the final NTA allocations of the 23 Makati barangays, with a total allocation this year of P315,962,935. The NTA, which replaced the previous internal revenue allotment (IRA), is distributed among LGUs – provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays – using a specific formula.

At the same time, wealth received the largest share among the social development subsectors for 2024, with P4,136,000,000 (45 percent), followed by Education, with P3,253,038,000 (35 percent); and Social Welfare, with P1,810,718,000 (20 percent). For this year, P2.36 billion has been earmarked for the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak), P1.71 billion for the Makati Health Department and P54.38 million for the Veterinary Services Department.

Smart classrooms for students

Makati has converted 400 classrooms into “smart classrooms” with interactive whiteboards, notebook tablets and unlimited internet access. A total of 119 Hybrid Interactive Boards (HIBs), 50 percent of the target, have been installed in elementary schools and 81 in secondary schools.

Each HIB unit is equipped with an Android 11.0 intelligent operating system and is built with 5G wireless internet access, a WiFi hotspot and a three-way USB interface support. It also has a 4-core 64-bit CPU, a 4K touchscreen whiteboard with multi-gesture writing features, wireless co-screening with multiple screening and remote snapshots. Its 8-array microphones have a 10-meter pickup distance for convenient video conferencing.

In smart classrooms, students can access notebook tablets connected to the school’s Learning Management System and an HIB unit featuring remote classroom capabilities. Charging stations are also being installed in the schools to make them readily available to students and ensure continuous use of their digital devices during learning activities.