The Official Website of the City Government of Tagum - From the Desk of Mayor Rey T. Uy

Welcome to Tagum City!

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an increasingly powerful tool for participating in global markets; promoting political accountability; improving the delivery of basic services; and enhancing local development opportunities.

The advent of technology has significantly changed the traditional ways of doing things. Transactions, agreements, contracts and exchanges and storage of information through the utilization of electronic, optical and similar medium has become the rule both in commercial and non-commercial dealings in the government and private entities.

In the working environment, computer skills become a necessity of one's life and people tend to adopt and to embrace the convenience brought by these technologies. With these developments and changes, most businesses and government entities opted to maintain a computerized information system and deviates from the old ways of doings things.

Developing a website is one of the many tools that would help a local government unit to interact with its citizens, investors and other stakeholders around the globe.

Adopting and catching up with our modern technologies, the City Government of Tagum developed this dynamic website for users to access information that are real time and regularly updated. You can also download forms and other information through our archives. Here, you will see the city's bests in terms of governance, investments, tourism and government services.

This is our "HOME" in the cyberspace. So, enjoy your tour around the city and may you keep on visiting our home.

Our home is "Interestingly Tagum City".

Mabuhay!

Mayor Rey Tao Uy

Personal Data:

Born on March 26, 1956 at Madaum, Tagum, Davao del Norte
Married to formerly Ms. Alma I. Lim
Blessed with 3 children
He finished his elementary education at Madaum Elementary School and secondary education at the Ateneo de Davao
He graduated his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City.

Government Services:

Served as Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member of Davao Province in 1988-1995
Appointed as Vice-Governor of Davao Province in June 1992
Elected as City Mayor of the City of Tagum in July 01, 1998
Elected as City Mayor of the City of Tagum in 2004 up to the present

Achievements:

As the Local Chief Executive of the City of Tagum, the City garnered the following National Awards:

Komisyon ng serbisyo sibil "Gawad Pag-Asa" - Para sa kanyang pagkamalikhain na nagsilbi upang bigyang buhay at gawing porduktibo and Siyudad sa Tagum. Bual sa kanyang puso ang pabutihin ang antas ng edukasyon, kaya naglunsad siya ng reading program para sa mga kabataan at sistemang Madrasah para sa mga kapatid na Muslim. Inilaan niya ang local na pondo para sa pagtatayo ng mga paaralan, sa pagsasaayos ng mga landmark, at marine ecosystem, at sa mangrove reforestation. Pinamunuan niya ang pagtayo ng fabrication section na gumagawa ng paving blocks, food stalls, lamesa at iba pang kagamitan at nakatulong upang makatipid ang siyudad sa gastusin. Hindi niya rin ipinagwalang-bahala ang pangkabuhayan ng kaniyang nasasakupan kaya "Plant Now, Pay Later" Program na nagpaunlad ng pamumuhay ng 180 magsasaka at kanilang mga pamilya mula sa pagtatanim ng durian at iba pang mataas ang pagkakakitaang mga pananim."
First elected Official in the country to receive the Gawad pag-asa Award.
Grand Prize Winner - Most Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) in the Implementation of the Literacy Program (City Level) 2001
Hall of Fame Winner - Most Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) in the Implementation of the Voluntary Blood Services Program 2001
First Place Winner - Search for Most Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) in Local Budget Administration (Component City Category) 2001
Award of Excellence - Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran National Finalist for the Cleanest and Greenest Local Government Unit (LGU) of the Philippines (1998-2000)
National Finalist in the Search for the Most Child Friendly City 2000
Second Place - Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) National Literacy Awards 2004-2005
Regional Outstanding in the Implementation of Public Employment Services Office (PESO) Program 2004-2005
Aside from National Awards received, he is also a recipient of 108 awards and plaques in the field of public service.

During his incumbency:

Tagum City has become First Class City from Third Class City, per Memorandum Circular No. 01-C(d)-05 issued on February21, 2006 by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, Department of Finance.
On February 13, 2006, Tagum City was recognized as one of the 20 Cities cited as Most Viable and Most Competitive Business Cites in the Philippines in a nationwide study conducted by the Asian Institute of management (AIM) Policy Center, USAID, Germany's Technical Cooperation Unit and the Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project.

Others:
• PADI Member since July 10, 1995

The Local Governments of today must perform in increasingly dynamic and complex environments where there are more and more pressure to get things done better with less. In addition, past failures add to the challenge and require good, inclusive and transparent systems of governance.

While decentralization brings more authority, it also brings with it more responsibility and accountability. Government must learn to steer and facilitate change, and manage in an arena of complex decision-making. Indeed, this poses a great challenge to any Local Chief Executive which the NOMINEE, Mayor Rey T. Uy has been able to surpass with his remarkable accomplishments that is making a big difference in local governance, inspiring many LGUs in the country today to learn and replicate what he has done for the City of Tagum.

The people of Tagum are fortunate to have a Mayor who is visionary, dynamic and innovative. The long sleepy town of Tagum has been transformed into what it is now in just a short period of time because of his very strong political leadership. That he would “rather be misunderstood for doing something than be understood for doing nothing” has always been his dictum.

As a Mayor, he uses his time and effort wisely and effectively to take the lead towards CHANGE in the way public services shall be delivered and local government shall be managed. His background as a known successful businessman has made him effective in managing the affairs of the City of Tagum in a corporate way. His principles and practices of corporate governance fuel massive reforms which develop best LGU practices in the aspects of social services, economic enterprise, partnership program, environment and tourism, agriculture and livelihood, and infrastructure development. These are all evidenced by his various exemplary performances which led to the speedy transformation of the sleepy town into a dynamic city adjudged as “One of the Best Cities Viable for Business by the Asian Institute of Management in 2006”.

Mayor Uy is not only a “Champion” in his corporate style of governance but he leads by example especially in the implementation of projects by administration. Meaning, he takes the lead even in the implementation of infrastructure projects which is supposed to be the expertise and concern of the City Project Engineers. He has demonstrated his being a “hands-on” Mayor which resulted to the rapid and cost-efficient implementation of projects. This has even caused further savings of a lot of money for the LGU which in turn is used to fund other projects and services.

As an “Action Man”, Mayor Uy has pioneered several programs which he himself conceptualized. One of the most notable is “Project REY”, an acronym for Reading Empowers Youth, which manifests his full dedication to support education as a means to achieve better quality of life. The project generally aims to help school children develop their skills in reading through free remedial classes, for he noticed that a significant number of grade school students from public schools within the city do not know how to read or understand what they are reading.

The Mayor’s passion for education as a foundation to ensure the future of our children extend beyond the borders of the LGU’s basic mandates on education. He tenaciously takes the lead in the implementation of modern public school buildings, both in elementary and high school, which are all funded by the local government. While it is true that the financial resources of the LGU is limited and constrained with a lot of priorities, he takes out of his way to prove that the government can construct public school buildings and classrooms that are of best quality. For him, it is a matter of identifying his priorities as the Local Chief Executive and ascertaining where the LGU budget shall be properly spent to reap greater benefits. Wise spending is always his key criteria in the utilization of public funds, be it for office supplies, services, programs and projects. He instills discipline in fiscal management and accountability in the use of public funds. He strongly maintains that it is the taxpayers’ money, thus it deserves proper spending with full accountability.

The exemplary performance of Mayor UY has awakened many LGUs and the general public of the City of Tagum that government service remains a public trust. It has to protect its integrity and full accountability in the execution and administration of government functions and responsibilities, and in the exercise of its powers as provided for in the Constitution, Local Government Code and other pertinent laws and policies of the State.

The essence of public service is always the centerpiece of his administration. He continues to do new things in local governance presenting an image of a consistent leader that always aspires for Excellence. This has been proven when he took the initiative to rehabilitate the City’s old, dilapidated and extremely congested public cemetery into a Memorial Park Type cemetery. Nobody believed that he can do it because it was indeed very risky. The decision to embark on such a project was very crucial for a Local Chief Executive to pursue since it was rife with so much controversy with so many people against its implementation.

Such situation has proven his strong political will and showcased a very good and rare experience for a Mayor like him. It was no magic indeed, that he did it well in spite of the difficult issues and problems he hurdled in the process. Now he gains the glory and sets an example of a leader who always put the best in public service, making the people the goal of his political path.

The nomination of Mayor UY in this Honor Awards Program would communicate what he has done in a wide group of public servants, leaders and the civil society. He has proven his sincerity and ingenuity in various aspects of local governance which serves as an inspiration to everyone. Indeed, he has made laudable achievements and deserves to be regarded as an icon of extraordinary leadership.