By Joseph Pedrajas and Jhon Casinas
On its 58th year as a city, Caloocan continues to enjoy rapid economic growth thanks mainly to the wave of investors who are coming in.
Data from the city treasurer's office show that the local government's income has nearly doubled in less than a
decade—from P3 billion in 2013 to over P5 billion in 2019.
Caloocan also ranked as the 7th richest city in the country in 2018, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).
Caloocan Mayor Oscar ‘Oca’ Malapitan (Mayor Oscar 'Oca' Malapitan / MANILA BULLETIN)
Au Ciego, city planning and development head, said the local business sector buoyed this economic boom through its high level of trust and confidence in the city, "as evidenced by the doubling of business capitalization, from P3.9
billion in 2017 to P6 billion in 2018."
The numbers don't lie: as per the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), the number of registered businesses
in the city has hit the 14,000-mark.
These include coffee-shop giant Starbucks, which finally opened its first branch in the city in 2018. No less than City Mayor Oscar "Oca" Malapitan attested to the importance of luring big companies and brands like Starbucks to Caloocan.
"They were actually hesitant at first to open business here and I had to urge them. But eventually, they agreed.
They said, they would only stay if they would be assured of a certain amount of monthly earnings," Mayor Malapitan said, referring to the Starbucks in front of the New Caloocan City Hall.
"After opening, they were surprised that people flocked there. And now, they're asking me if we still have another area where they could open another branch," Malapitan added.
In 2019, Caloocan was named as one of the finalists by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in its list of "most business-friendly cities in the country" plum. It was the fourth consecutive time the city received such recognition.
Motorcycle dealers and spare parts dealers still thrive in Caloocan, unofficially known as the motorcycle capital of the Philippines. Most of their establishments are located along 10th Avenue.
All these have contributed to the remarkable development of Caloocan, which previously lagged behind other Metro Manila cities despite being the fourth biggest city in terms of population in the country.
True to its slogan, "Tao ang Una" (People first), the city government has dedicated its current progress to its over 1.6 million residents.
Thousands of local folk have been given employment opportunities, including the 24,000 people who sought work at the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) following the rise in the number of businesses and commercial establishments.
The city's good economy has not only led to the creation of many commercial spaces, but also other people-friendly infrastructures.
Local facilities built in recent years include the New Caloocan City Hall, the Caloocan City Sports Complex, three University of Caloocan City campuses, and the Caloocan City People's Park. The park has been tagged as the first "breathable and family-friendly park" in the city.
To contribute to the Duterte administration's efforts to address the drug problem in the country, Mayor Malapitan also initiated the creation of the Kanlungan Drug Rehab Complex, the first local government-funded drug center in the country for former drug dependents.
"We aim to bring back the dignity of former drug dependents who want to change," Malapitan said.
In the coming years, residents can also expect a new city jail that will address the congestion problem of the current penal facility in the Dagat-dagatan area, a new Caloocan regional trial court, more multi-purpose national government buildings, and public markets, among others.
Today, Caloocan celebrates its 58th cityhood anniversary. Caloocan, which derived its name from the word "sulok," now seems to have achieved the corner of its ambitions: Rapid progress while at the same time caring for its people.
"I want to make the promise of change and success happen. That is why I continue giving service to the people and prioritizing projects and programs that are for the progress and welfare of Caloocan residents," Mayor Malapitan stressed.