By: Ben R. Rosario
Quezon City, Cebu, and Cainta, Rizal have been identified by the Commission on Audit as the country’s wealthiest city, province, and municipality for the second consecutive year.
Davao City, not in the Top 10 list of richest city, sneaked into the list, ranking ninth in terms of income last year, the 2016 Annual Financial Report released by CoA last week revealed.
Among the country’s largest cities, Davao made the list in the year when its former mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, became President.
As gathered in separate Top 10 lists created by the CoA in 2015 and 2016, the three local government units have widened the gap of their wealth from the rest of the pack by increasing their total assets year on year.
No Mindanao province made it to the Top 10 wealthiest in the country. Visayas, on the other hand, is not represented in the Top 10 municipalities.
The cities of Davao and Iligan, Lanao del Norte placing 9th and 10th, with P9.899 billion and P9.897 billion, respectively, were among the Mindanao urban areas that topped the city category.
Together with No. 4 Cebu City with P32.623 billion collection, Davao and Iligan were the only non-Metro Manila localities in the top income earners in 2016.
Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista put his city as the consistent top income earner in his past two terms as local chief executive. He is now on his third and final term as mayor.
Bautista has reportedly received invitations from various political parties as a senatorial candidate for 2019. While he has aired plans to run for congressman of the third district of Quezon City, the former actor-turned politician may be invited to the senatorial lineup of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.
