Try GOLD - Free
Cortes turns challenges into strength, outlines development agenda
The Freeman
|April 25, 2025
"It made me stronger," Cortes said.
-
Despite the challenges Cortes has faced on his path back to the mayoralty, he said these trials have also opened up new opportunities for him.
Cortes, a firm believer in the Performance Governance System (PGS), implemented this framework in Mandaue City starting from his first term as mayor up to the present.
Through this, Cortes said that residents have learned to actively participate in problem-solving and decision-making, rather than relying solely on their leaders.
During his early years as mayor of Mandaue City, he said that through PGS, the city underwent a significant transformation—something he considers one of his major milestones in governance.
One of the success stories he highlighted was the transformation of Mandaue City's former open dumpsite, which he recalled used to emit a stench strong enough to reach neighboring cities like Lapu-Lapu City.
He said that as mayor, he convened all department heads to ensure that not only government agencies but also the public were involved starting from information dissemination all the way to execution.
He eventually enforced the “no segregation, no collection” policy for waste management, which was fully implemented and embraced by the barangays down to the residents of Mandaue.
Additionally, through the Performance Governance System, Cortes said Mandaue City was able to push forward and achieve many firsts in its history.
It positioned Mandaue City as the first local government unit (LGU) to establish a command center equipped with fiber optics, to pioneer the Electronic Business Processing and Licensing System, and to partner with the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the city’s digitalization.
This story is from the April 25, 2025 edition of The Freeman.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Freeman
The Freeman
2026 budget: For whom?
Malacañang claimed that the 2026 General Appropriations Act is \"the \"cleanest and most proper\" spending law passed.
2 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
S. Korea urges Xi: Help curb N. Korea's nukes
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he had urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help him curb Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and suggested a freeze in its development of weapons of mass destruction was “feasible” with the right conditions.
1 min
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
Iran threatens response to Trump, Israel 'threats'
Iran’s military chief warned on Wednesday that Iran will not stand by and allow itself to be threatened by outside powers, after the United States and Israel backed anti-government protests.
1 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
Council defers cancellation of BRT annotation at SRP lots
The Cebu City Council has put on hold action on a resolution seeking to cancel Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) annotations on parcels of land in the South Road Properties (SRP) after conflicting rulings by the SRP Governing Board were raised.
2 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
Cebuano CPA ties 6th place
FROM FISHERMAN'S SON TO TOPNOTCHER
4 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
UN accuses Israel of 'apartheid'
The United Nations on Wednesday said decades of discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank were intensifying, and called on the country to end its “apartheid system.”
1 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
RJK grabs solo lead in D'Generals cage wars
RJK Centre drubbed Jayrubz Online, 78-70, for their third win in the D'Generals Basketball League Season 2 played last Monday, January 5, at the Aulga Citi Gymnasium in Barangay Lawaan 2, Talisay City.
1 min
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
Crimes in Central Visayas dropped by 28% in 2025
A major downtrend in crime, marked by a 28 percent decrease, defined the continuing fight against criminality in Central Visayas in 2025.
2 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
Trump weighs military option for Greenland
President Donald Trump is discussing options including military action to take control of Greenland, the White House said Tuesday, upping tensions that Denmark warns could destroy the NATO alliance.
2 mins
January 08, 2026
The Freeman
Jobless Pinoys reach 2.25M in November 2025
Around 2.25 million Filipinos were jobless in November 2025, translating into an unemployment rate of 4.4%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday, January 7.
1 min
January 08, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
