Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Mayor's State of the City Address (SOCA 2009)

Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento delivered his 2009 State of the City Address yesterday. His speech was part of the agenda of the first session of the City Council for the year 2009.

Vice Mayor Ronaldo Aquino presided over the session. In attendance were Councilors Rey James Uy, Ver Porlares, Julius Mancol, Danilo Bernate, Regina Rabuya, Noel Sermense, Raymond Uy, Susano Salurio, Arturo Pasacas, Jonas Montealto, Virgil Clemens Florencio Enriquez and Charlie Boy Coñejos.

Also present during the session were the various Department Managers of the LGU. The session was broadcast live over DYOG Radyo ng Bayan and Community TV Channel 6.

The City Mayor opened his report with some LGU highlights from year 2008. The highlights showed that it was a busy year for the LGU. The acitvities presented included among others, the following:

- the USNS Mercy ENCAP and MEDCAP in Samar.
- the visits of President Gloria Arroyo, U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney and Secretary Arthur Yap.
- the introduction of the weekly People's Day at the City Hall and in some barangays.
- the campaign to reassure the public about the availability of rice in the city and the region.
- the continuing Secure Tenure Program of the City Urban Housing Division.

(For more highlights cited by the City Mayor, you may check the 2008 archives of this blog.)

Mayor Sarmiento also gave the Officials and the People of Calbayog an update on what the various Departments are doing with regard to the service they have rendered to Calbayog. This was done through the presentation of score cards of the various LGU Departments.

(It should be noted that it was the same score card system that the City Mayor presented to President Arroyo during the RDC meeting in September 2008. The same was ordered by the President to be implemented in various RDCs all over the country).

The City Mayor also included the various awards the recognition that the LGU received, foremost among which is the recognition from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) citing Calbayog as one of the Most Competetive Small-sized Cities in the Philippines.

(You may check the reports on the awards and recognition for the LGU in the 2008 archives section of this blog)

The City Mayor cited a good number of projects for 2009. Some of these projects are the following:
- the completion of the Calbayog City Sports Complex (Gymnasium)
- the new Market
- Convention Center
- Landfill
- a new Park

While he ended his report on a positive note, he noted the not-so-good forecast for the year ahead. He called on everyone to join hands to work hard for Calbayog and for the country. He did that by quoting a message that Finance Secretary sent him via text:

"Despite the generally unfavorable forecast, we are hopeful that 2009 will be better than expected if we continue to work hard, have faith in ourselves and pray together for our country."

Here are some pictures from yesterday's activity:

Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino presiding over the session

Councilors Bombie Enriquez, Charlie Boy Coñejos and Julius Mancol

(l-r) Councilors Jonas Monatealto and Virgil Clemens with some Department Managers as they listened to the SOCA.

1 comment:

Dave Robbins said...

Here is an interesting link about the SOS Children's Village Sanitation project:

http://watsan-asia.blogspot.com/2008/11/sos-childrens-village-calbayog-city.html

Just copy and paste it into your browser, then pass it along.

Thanks