By Jel Santos “A true performer and a good administrator.” Former Vice President and former Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay
(KJ ROSALES / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) This was how former vice president Jejomar “Jojo” Binay described his daughter, incumbent Makati Mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay. Abigail, who is seeking reelection, is up against her brother, former Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. The Binay patriarch chose to support the candidacy of the incumbent mayor. “Tama lang yung kanyang ginagamit, ‘yung Team Performance, kasi performer talaga si Abigail. No one can say otherwise. She is a good administrator, so ipagpatuloy niya ‘yun (It is correct for her to use Team Performance as a campaign brand because Abigail is truly a performer. No one can say otherwise. She is a good administrator, so she should carry on),” the elder Binay proudly told the media. He noted that his daughter, for a first-termer, accomplished many great things, expressing how he was impressed with Abigail’s performance as a mayor. Under the administration of Abigail, he said that the city attained the first-ever Unqualified Opinion given by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its audit report on the city’s 2017 financial statements, and Makati was named by COA as the country’s richest city, unseating Quezon City after several years. The Binay patriarch said such were made possible because the incumbent mayor was very hardworking and organized. He added that even when she was still a child she was like that. “Talaga namang masipag ito. Pagkabata ni Abigail, organized talaga siya (She really hardworking. When Abigail was still little, she’s very organized).” The former vice president also lauded his daughter for initiating tie-ups with private companies and institutions to enhance the city’s public health care program and public education system. The elder Binay, as vice president, strongly advocated the PPP concept and pushed for the establishment of a strong PPP framework for government at the national and local levels. Part of his economic platform as a presidential candidate was the rapid implementation of PPP programs particularly in the transport sector. Abigail has entered into a number of PPP agreements for smart initiatives aimed to accelerate Makati’s transformation into a “Smart and Digital City”, at no cost to the city. These initiatives include Makatizen Card, a unified, multi-purpose government-issued citizen ID. As of January 2019, around 53,545 Makatizen Card have been distributed and are being used by city residents and city hall employees. To date, the free Wi-Fi project of the city has covered 13 barangays, providing free internet connection to residents on designated hours daily. Launched in 2017, the digital citizen application, Makatizen App, is now available in both Play Store and App Store. Makati residents can now use the application to access latest news, updates and information on programs and event, to report crime or concerns in their communities, and call for emergency response. Through another PPP under the administration of Abigail, Makati City is also on its way to having the country’s first intra-city subway system, which the incumbent has regarded as her “legacy” to the people of Makati and to the nation as well. Construction and operation of the subway have been projected to create more than 6,000 jobs for Makati residents. By 2025, it will accommodate around 27,000 passengers every hour and help decongest traffic in major roads of the city.