DAGUPAN CITY – The present city administration aims to bring back Dagupan to its old first class status, according to a list of programs released by the office of City Administrator Alvin Fernandez.

Fernandez, speaking for his father, Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr., said local revenues here must meet the requirements of a first class city.

At present, Dagupan is a second class city just like San Carlos, Urdaneta, Alaminos and the other Ilocos Region cities.

It is also the vision of the present city administration to make Dagupan City ISO9000 certified by next year by simplifying operations to ensure that taxpayers have an easy time understanding what to do to pay their taxes.

Fernandez said instructions on how to transact business in Dagupan shall be clear and simple, accessible in electronic billboards, tarpaulins, cable televisions, departments concerned and others.

A brochure on the statistics of Dagupan shall be published and updated on a yearly basis to provide information to any interested investor on the wide customer base the city can offer.

One of the plans of the city is to put up a new fish market possibly to be located somewhere in Lucao to make it more accessible to fish traders.

The move will beef up the present Magsaysay Fish Market located in the downtown area and could ensure that Dagupan remain as fish trading capital of Northern Luzon.

At the same time, the city government intends to establish a Special Economic Zone in the Bonuan area where investors may occupy.

It is in the Bonuan area where a US 2.2 million dollars Seafood Processing Plant funded by a grant from the Korean government will soon be established in June this year.

On the other hand, lands that are delinquent in the payment of Real Property Tax after three warnings were proposed to be transferred in the name of the city for possible development aimed for educational purposes and livelihood generation. (PNA)