BAYBAY CITY, June 17 (PNA) — The city mayor here delivered her first State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday, coinciding with the city’s 8th charter day celebration, with the vision of continuing the golden tradition of a city of discovery, beauty and serenity.
Mayor Carmen L. Cari focused his report first on the history of the city and its vision. She reminded residents of how they were able to hurdle the intense legal tussle at the Supreme Court and the moment of victory when it finally granted the cityhood status on June 16, 2007.
The mayor’s audience included Energy Secretary Jericho L. Petilla who came as the guest speaker for the 8th charter day celebration, Rep. Jose Carlos Cari, Governor Dominic L. Petilla, Vice Governor Carlo P. Loreto, Board Member Florante Cayunda, Vice Mayor Michale L. Cari, city councilors, village officials, department heads, private partners and residents.
Cari put an emphasis on her governance, which is based on three important frameworks – transparency, accountability, and people participation. She believed that these three are the things that allowed Baybay to be what is it now.
“By working together we have built our city into a center of commerce and industry that utilizes the raw materials of our agricultural legacy and skills and talent of manpower base, enriched by the formal and non-formal programs in the education sector.”
“We are the epicenter of academic excellence, research and outreach programs as exemplified by the Visayas State University and because we have preserved our environment and used our natural resources we have a vibrant tourism sector.”
The mayor enumerated several accomplishments that led to the city’s development in the areas of health, education, peace and order, tourism, agriculture, disaster preparedness and mitigation, social services, infrastructure, administrative and financial initiatives and the city’s partners in development.
On administrative and financial initiatives, Cari said that the city initiated initiatives that resulted in improvement of governance with this the city was awarded with Seal of Financial Good Housekeeping that allowed the city to avail financial assistance from the national government and lending institutions.
The city government also earned the Seal of Good Housekeeping from the Philippine Civil Service Commission and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Cari enumerated the city’s infrastructure and capability programs that the city will embark on in the next 12 months.
These are to attract more investors and expand tax revenues without increase tax rates, expand livelihood programs for the poor, build a new city hospital, upgrade the Baybay Medical Center and establish blood bank.
The city will also build more schools and classrooms to support the K-12 program, construct new government center with complete facilities.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we have done so much and we are able to do this because we worked together. We are a team, I am proud you choose me to be your leader. And I am honored to be a part of this experience of building a city of everyone’s dream,” she added. (PNA)