L O C A T I O N M A P

10
N
Manila
Tagaytay City
NCR
Tagaytay
Cavite
Batangas
Rizal
Quezon
Bulacan
Zambales
Tarla
Pangasinan
Cebu
Davao
Mindanao
Visayas
Luzon
Introduction
Tagaytay became a chartered City on June 21, 1938 when President Manuel L. Quezon
signed Commonwealth Act No. 338. Tagaytay is located at the highest point of Cavite,
overlooking Manila Bay on the North, Taal Volcano and Taal Lake on the South and Laguna
de Bay on the East. Because of these geographical features, Tagaytay became one of the
most popular tourist locations in the country.
The nationwide boom in real estate development has accelerated the growth of urban areas
in the city. Residential and commercial areas have doubled and trends indicate more growth
along this line. The renewed interest of local and foreign investors already ushered large-
scale developments in Tagaytay.
Amidst these positive developments, Tagaytay is equally preoccupied with overcoming
complex social and environmental problems to be able to fully assert genuine development.
Overall Local Development Vision And Strategy
"TAGAYTAY 2012 - MOVE AHEAD WITH NATURE," which acknowledges that nature
is its most critical endowment. Thus, Tagaytay sees itself as a "pro-nature tourist city, built
on good character and good governance. It seeks to utilize its full potential through a
sustainable eco-tourism base, adequate infrastructure support system and accessible pro-
people social services."
Tagaytay's development goals and objectives are embodied in this nine-point action plan:
Increase tourist arrivals with access to affordable but world class facilities;
Increase world class recreational facilities;
100% accessibility of transportation, communication facilities and services
to all barangays;
Increase the number of hospital beds and health providers;
Decrease the number of informal settlers by 20%;
Increase the number of courses, technical and vocational;
Increase employment opportunities in tourism and agricultural services;
Increase awareness and create public and private partnership; and
Establish city tertiary educational system.
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City Development Strategy Report
T A G A Y T A Y C I T Y , C A V I T E
Towards the realization of its vision and development goals, Tagaytay has outlined the
following strategies that will shape the priority interventions of the City:
Strategy 1 : Provision of efficient infrastructure support for eco-agri-tourism industry;
Strategy 2 : Establishment of effective environmental facilities and efficient
implementation of environmental policies;
Strategy 3 : Enhancement of basic social services;
Strategy 4 : Character building and improvement of management
and administrative system;
Strategy 5 : Economic diversification on product development; and
Strategy 6 : Tourism promotion and marketing program.
Economic Development
The development of the city may be situated in the wider context of developments in Region
IV, which has become one of the fastest urbanizing areas in the country and has witnessed
the rapid rise of industrial estates, housing (low- and high-end), leisure facilities, shopping
centers, etc.
As the City's natural character is well-suited for rest and relaxation, the development of
high-cost, week-end housing areas complements the "working centers," such as Metro
Manila and the nearby provinces of Cavite and Laguna. This type of development has
spilled-over to the adjacent highland towns with a similar view of the lake as the prime
land (ridge) in the City has become scarce and expensive.
Tagaytay City, being one of the vital tourist destinations in the country, plays a significant
role in its tourism industry. In 1995 the City ranked third to Cebu and Pagsanjan among
the favorite places frequented by tourists due to its scenic attractions and accommodation
facilities that are at par with international standards.
Despite these developments, agriculture remains a significant sector in the city's economic
development. The development of the agricultural sector aims to improve the income of
farmers and the quality of produced goods to make the city more competitive.
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
Weak agr i c ul t ur al sec t or. The city is still highly dependent on agriculture. As
such, developments in the sector should focus on improving the competitiveness of the
products, as well as the farmers' income. Intensified crop production is very timely because
of the demand for both fresh and processed fruits in the domestic and international markets.
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T A G A Y T A Y C I T Y , C A V I T E
Conver si on of agr i c ul t ur al l and t o ot her uses. However, the city should
consider that the land is dwindling for agricultural expansion. Records from the City
Agriculture Office shows that the remaining agriculture area in the city is only 1,292 hectares
or 19.80% of the city's total land area. The conversion of many agricultural lands to
residential, industrial and leisure sites compound this problem. Hence, it may be better
to look at technologies that will increase the yield of the existing land than in expanding
agricultural lots.
Li mi t ed poul t r y and swi ne pr oduc t i on. The City Government of Tagaytay has
been trying to find ways to invigorate the poultry and livestock production. Annually, the
LGU allocates budget for the procurement of heifer (cattle) as a breeding stock for dispersal
purposes in different barangays and for cattle fattening and backyard poultry raising.
However, many of the communities, which received this form of assistance, were not able
to sustain this livelihood.
Commer c e and i ndust r y. The city's terrain has not caused urbanization to be as
rapid as in the case of neighboring lowland towns. There are relatively few industries within
the city: only 17 industries can be found in the city, 2 of which are agro-based, 2 are
manufacturing oriented and the remaining are cottage/livelihood industries. In addition, the
city has no defined central business district. Instead, commercial activities tend to
conglomerate in four different parts of the city.
IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES
Ensur e i mpr oved pr oduc t i vi t y, pr oduc t mi x and c ompet i t i veness of
r emai ni ng agr i -sec t or. The provision of appropriate technologies, agricultural
extension services, conduct of market studies, crop diversification, and other such support
services to ensure the productivity of the city's agriculture sector.
Ac t i ve sear c h f or new mar ket s f or non-t r adi t i onal agr i c ul t ur al
pr oduc t s. The city's temperature and climate should be maximized in terms of crop
diversification. Fruits, vegetables, flowers and other high value crops grow well in a cooler
climate like Tagaytay. The growing popularity of organic produce presents a very good
opportunity for the city's agriculture sector because of the demand for such high-value
products.
Enabl e t ouri sm i ndust r y and suppor t ser vi ces. Provide efficient infrastructure
support for eco-agri-tourism industry. Agriculture and tourism are the major economic
pillars of the city. However, as the city head towards progress and development, there has
been a gradual shift of economic activities from agriculture to tourism. Investment is
predominantly focused on tourism. In line with this economic trend, the city must adopt
appropriate programs and activities that will support such trend.
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These programs will include the upgrading and maintenance of existing city markets,
public parks, city-operated hotels and convention centers.
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Tour i sm: a) construction and development of public parks and viewing decks; b)
improvement of various city roads and major thoroughfares; c) production of mass-media
tourism promotional advertisement; d) annual local tourism trade fair
Agr i c ul t ur e: a) improvement of existing City Agricultural Extension Service; b) conduct
research studies on city base agricultural productivity; c) upgrading and maintenance of
existing city markets and economic enterprises; d) construction of new Human Resource
Development Center; and e) conduct of Annual Local Trade Fair.
Social Development
The City aims to provide sufficient socio-economic opportunities and support mechanisms
for all its residents, particularly for displaced and isolated families caught in the economic
transition.
The delivery of basic education and health care services to the general public is one of the
primary concerns of the city. There are sixteen (16) Elementary Schools located at different
barangays. At present, there are four (4) high school in the city, two (2) of which are private
and two (2) are public. The City Government established its own primary hospital in 1997
(Ospital ng Tagaytay) to cater especially to the needs of underprivileged patients. Apart
from the city hospital, there is one health center for the city and all barangays have health
centers. Non-government organizations (NGOs) and private institutions also provide
medical services to the residents.
As a whole, the city has relatively low crime rate or a low incidence of crime. This may
be attributed to the combined security effort of the Local Police Force, the Barangay Tanods
and the Bantay Lungsod. It may also be due to the implementation of Katarungang
Pambarangay System.
The city government formed six official settlements to address the need for shelter and to
lessen the squatting problem. There are at least 463 families who benefited from the city's
PABAHAY program. The target beneficiaries of the program are the underprivileged and
homeless constituents particularly those families that are adversely affected by the on-going
developments.
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DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
Pover t y. Poverty remains high. Out of the 8,590 households (HH) in the city, 3,458 HH
(40.26%) live below the poverty line based on the standard set the DSWD (i.e. PhP10,000.00
per family of 6). At least 1,263 HH (14.70%) live in extreme poverty. Approximately
60% of the HH that live in extreme poverty are farm tenants and the rest are landless rural
workers, such as the construction workers, house helpers and caretakers. Most of these
are migrants and displaced families who live in informal settlements.
Rapi dl y i ncreasi ng popul at i on. According to the NSO report for 2000, the city's total
population is 45,287. While the total population of the city is only 2.2% of the total Cavite
population, its population growth rate is relatively high at 3.89%. The city has been
experiencing rapid urban population growth which increased by 67.66% for the past five years.
Educ at i on. There is a high percentage of elementary enrolment in the city. However,
out of the total number of enrolees, only 81.31% could reach grade IV and only 79% could
graduate. In addition, the number of tertiary institutions and vocational/technical schools
that would cater to the needs of the local populace is also limited.
Heal t h. The city's health facilities are inadequate, particularly in terms of providing
health care services in remote barangays. Its services cover only first-aid, pre/post natal
check-up and family planning. Hence, patients with serious illness that need medical
attention have to be brought to the adjoining towns. This inadequacy can be attributed
to the lack of medical facilities/equipment, as well low ratio of medical personnel compared
to the population.
Housi ng. The influx of migrants to the city has resulted in an increased number of
informal dwellers in the city. According to local estimates, 31% of the total population
are squatters.
IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES
Enhanc e t he del i ver y of basi c soc i al ser vi c esthrough a comprehensive
program. Improving existing infrastructure and facilities intended for health, housing and
livelihood assistance are viable means of improving the quality of life of the city residents.
Access to these services by residents from the remote barangays shall also be enhanced.
Pr ogr am t o i nc r ease t ec hni c al /voc at i onal c our ses
and the establishment of tertiary education facilities would increase access to education
and improve the employment opportunities for the residents.
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PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Housi ng: PABAHAY PROGRAM intends to provide not only decent housing units to
qualified program beneficiaries, but also to establish a decent and sustainable community
for the target informal dwellers. The program consists of acquisition of land and construction
of housing units.
Educ at i on: a) construction of elementary school building; and b) construction and
development of City Tertiary Education Facilities
Heal t h: a) upgrading of existing City Hospital; and b) acquisition of barangay-based
ambulance
Pover t y: a) livelihood assistance to subsistence families; and b) improvement of
accessibility of far-flung barangays
Urban Design And Infrastructure
Tagaytay occupies a strategic point along the boundaries of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas
provinces. It is accessible by land from all directions through eight national highways,
which likewise serve as links among its barangays. Urbanization rates in Tagaytay have
not been as rapid as in other cities due to its topography. As a result, the city still has a
low population density. The City however, has an approved land use plan to guide future
development.
As of 2000, Tagaytay City has a total length of 136.67 kilometers of road; about 39.70
kms (29%) are classified as national roads, 28.56 kms (21%) are city roads and 68.41
kms (50%) are barangay roads. The city has a total of five bridges, two of which are
maintained by the national government and three by the city government.
The major modes of transport in Tagaytay are buses, jeeps, tricycles and cars. These
transit types provide mobility services within as well as outside the city. Aside from
these major modes of transit, several buses also ply through the city.
The upgrading of the city's entire physical infrastructure system will be undertaken to
cope with the increasing development activities. One of the highlights is the construction
of the new arterial highway, which will be complemented by the judicious application
of land use policies.
In terms of public utilities, the residents generally have access to power and water. In fact,
98% of the local households have access to electricity powered by MERALCO, while 88%
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of the total households have access to piped water serviced by the Tagaytay City Water
District. Owing to its elevation, the city is also host to a large number of communication
towers.
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
Li mi t ed bui l dabl e ar eas for devel opment . The eastern and southern portions
are covered by hills and mountains (generally forest and open grasslands) with a slope
ranging from 10.0 to over 25%. The remaining portion is level and nearly level area
interspersed with very greatly sloping surface. However, much of this area is already
built-up.
Tr anspor t and t el ec ommuni c at i ons. Only 28.63% of the local population has
connection to telephone lines. Most barangays, especially in the remote areas suffer from
accessibility problems due to inadequate transport and telecom facilities.
IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES
Revi ew and i mpl ement at i on of CLUP. Provide efficient infrastructure support
for eco-agri-tourism industry, which will give full consideration to the Land Use/Zoning
Ordinance of the City to prevent urban congestion and regulate rapid changes of land
activities.
For mul at e/updat e i nt er -bar angay t r anspor t and c ommuni c at i ons
pr ogr am to increase accessibility of these areas.
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Central Sewage System Treatment Plant
Improve accessibility of far-flung barangays
Acquisition of barangay-based ambulance
Improvement of various roads and major thoroughfares
Capability building for city government employees and barangay captains
Construction and development of public parks and viewing decks
Improvement of existing parks and viewing decks
Environment
The City is characterized by mixed topography; hills and mountains, covered with forests
and open grasslands, occupy the southern and eastern portions of the city. It is the city's
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inherent environmental characteristics, which has fuelled its growth. Existing environmental
management measures cover both urban and rural environments to sustain the city's growth
and development.
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
Sol i d wast e. Due to increasing population, waste management is becoming an alarming
issue. The city government is conducting training and seminars at the barangay level
regarding solid waste management to encourage people's participation in the implementation
of environmental programs. Only 33% of the households have access to garbage collection.
The volume of solid waste collected reach about 315 cubic meter a week at an average
volume of 45 cubic meter daily. Since the city has no available site for sanitary landfill
due to its critical topography, the city is using a temporary dumpsite located at Tagaytay-
Talisay Road, Brgy. San Jose. Waste from individual household particularly those barangays
that are hardly reached by garbage trucks are disposing their garbage either by dumping
or burning in an open area.
Er osi on. Soil is vulnerable to erosion. Based on the study conducted, the city has various
degrees and categories of erosion potentials, namely: a.) severe erosion, about 38.37% of
the city's total land area are subject to severe erosion which affects mountainous and strongly
sloping areas along the ridge and on the eastern of the city; b.) moderate erosion, approximately
14.59% of the total land area of Tagaytay City are subject to this category; and c.) none to
slight erosion. The City Government noted that 47% of the land area, particularly the gently
undulating part, is vulnerable to erosion to due to faulty farm management practice.
Sewer age. Because the city has no central sewerage system and wastewater treatment
facility and due to lack of financial resources, the city only uses natural drainage, with a
three-chamber septic vault. The city government has been trying to maximize its revenue
collection and at the same time developing new resources to fund the project.
IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES
Set up ef fect i ve envi r onment al faci l i t i es and implement relevant environmental
policies. Since Tagaytay is an environmentally critical area, it is imperative for the city to
strictly implement environmental policies and provide facilities to prevent pollution and
preserve and enhance the environment. As the city moves toward rapid urbanization,
provision of sanitary landfill and Material Recovery Facilities for Solid Waste Management
are critical to ensure effective environmental management.
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Adopt Sl opi ng Agri c ul t ur al Land Technol ogy. Farmers should be encouraged
to use this technology to prevent soil erosion and landslides. The use of organic system
of farm fertilization will likewise be encouraged to avoid environmental degradation.
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Priorities namely: a) construction and development of a Central Sewerage System Treatment
Plant; construction/establishment of Materials Recovery Facilities in three strategic locations
within the city; and b) acquisition and development of site for sanitary landfill outside the
city.
Financing
In Tagaytay City, it is very clear that urbanization will continually pressure the LGU budget
by driving up its expenditures. Between 1996 and 2000, city revenues increased at an
annual growth rate roughly commensurate to the increase in expenditures. For the year
2001, the city government collected to total income of Php 270,293,256.46 which is 13%
higher from the city's income of CY 2000. In 2001, real property taxes and taxes on goods
and services accounted for 42% of the City's income, with 38% from the IRA and the
remainder from other sources.
Tagaytay City recognizes the need to strengthen local revenue generation and has been very
pro-active in enhancing local fiscal management through various schemes. In 2001, the
City floated bonds to finance the construction of the Tagaytay International Convention
Center. The city has also been successful in the imposition of 1% Idle Land Tax. It has
also invested in a Computerized Tax Collection system to increase collection efficiency.
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
I nc r easi ng LGU ex pendi t ur es. Between 1997 and 2001, there was a noted 30%
increase in the city's expenditures. The quality of expenditure also improved during the
same period. At least 30% to 40% goes to capital outlays and the rest to personnel and
operating expenses. As an aggregate, Tagaytay City spends about 60 to 66% of its budget
for the construction of new as well as for the maintenance and improvement of capital
facilities. It is equally important to note that the city recorded decreasing dependence on
Internal Revenue Allotment. In 2001, (IRA) and other grants from the national government
accounted for 40% of city revenues in 2001, compared to 58.20% in 1996.
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IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES
Adopt l oc al r ef or ms t hat seek t o i nc r ease t he amount of f i nanc i al
r esour c es avai l abl e t o t he c i t y. This should focus on improving the technical
and administrative capabilities of local personnel to manage such resources, to service not
only the city's routine administrative costs but also to address a wider range of service and
capital improvement needs.
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Improve collection of existing taxes
Increase direct cost recovery
Access the local credit market responsibility
Capability building for city government employees and barangay
officials- Improve collection of existing taxes
Increase direct cost recovery
Access the local credit market responsibility
Capability building for city government employees and barangay officials
Lowering the transaction cost for city procurements
Ensuring the matching of expenditure requirement with fund availability
Governance
The decentralization process ushered by the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC) opened
up opportunities to exercise greater autonomy in local administration, expand local community
participation in the development process, improve the delivery of basic services, and increase
prospects for resource mobilization. So far, the city has been reacting positively to the
challenges of decentralization in a broad-based partnership with its constituency.
One of the innovations developed by the city is the adoption of the Character Program in
2000, which seeks to instill positive values in the community, with government officials
and employees leading the example for character training. Since then, it has spearheaded
the Character Cities Program in the Philippines that is spreading to all parts of the country.
Another innovation is the designation of Councilors to specific political jurisdictions known
as the Councilor's Area of Responsibility. This serves as an extension of the Mayor's Office
with the end view of rationalizing and ensuring the efficient, effective and equitable delivery
of public services.
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Furthermore, the City Government has established strong linkages with the NGOs and
people's organizations (POs). In fact, there are thirty-eight (38) organized NGOs and POs
being accredited by the City Government that serve as government partners in delivering
basic services to the community.
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES
Need f or new c apac i t i es. The decentralization process demands continuous
building of capacities on the part of the local government to enable it to effectively respond
to the new challenges of rapid urbanization.
I mpl ement at i on of t he CLUP. Although the City Government has been very
aggressive in the enforcement of the CLUP and zoning ordinances, it has encountered
strong resistance from various sectors.
IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES
Enc our age ac t i ve publ i c par t i c i pat i on. Good governance requires the active
participation of the local populace to make sure that the development platform is responsive
to their actual needs. Moreover, public participation promotes a transparent and effective
utilization of public funds and enhances the sustainability and quality of development
programs and projects being implemented in the city.
Cont i nue t o max i mi ze t he power pr ovi ded by t he LGC. Some projects
entail the exercise of such powers mandated under the code, to include among others,
eminent domain, corporate power, and power to impose special levies, which are deemed
necessary to attain the goals and vision of the city.
St r i c t enf or c ement and implementation of regulatory measures.
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS
Priority programs, namely: a) capability building for city government employees and
barangay officials; b) Management Information System; and c) Community-Based Character
Building Program.
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