Answer:
1. We viewed the poor, of which Naga had plenty, as our partners and assets. We launched Kaantabay sa Kauswagan (Partners in Development) Program which so far provided security of tenure to 5,000 squatter families. Today, they are proud owners of homelots in neighborhoods that speak of their dignity as empowered citizens of the city.
2. Working with the poor, we resolved long-standing land tenure problems dating back to the 1950s. Such was our success that no less than the United Nations Center for Human Settlements made our program a model in the Habitat II Conference in Turkey in 1996
3. The rebound was described by Asiaweek Magazine as “more institutional than physical” even as it acclaimed Naga City as one of the 4 Most Improved Cities in Asia in 1999. For similar reasons, Naga City was presented the Dubai-UNCHS International Award for the 10 World’s Best Practices in Urban Governance and for its Participatory Planning Initiatives in 1998.
