By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA
Bago City Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao delivered her first State of the City Address (SOCA) on Wednesday afternoon, July 15, stressing strengthening transparency, embracing innovation and making public service faster, more responsive and more accessible.
“We believe that public service is not measured only by big accomplishments but by the small things that matter: a warm welcome, a listening ear, a prompt response, and a genuine willingness to help,” Javellana-Yao said in her SOCA at Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Coliseum and Cultural Center.
She said the city’s progress is not defined solely by economic growth or physical development.
“It is defined by how we care for one another, how we create opportunities for those who have less, and how we ensure that no Bagonhon is left behind,” she added.
The mayor highlighted the city’s achievements and programs under her administration’s “Asenso Bago” program.
In agriculture and food security, the mayor reported that they distributed 34,200 bags of certified and hybrid palay seeds worth P44.51 million.
She said 10,263 rice farmers across 23 barangays received direct support to increase yield and secure harvest.
In education, the mayor emphasized that for Bago City College, they allocated a big chunk of the 20 percent Development Fund for the construction of a four-story building that will house additional classrooms and laboratories and a student dormitory.
In health, Javellana-Yao said they expanded their services by providing additional dialysis center, ultrasound and ECG services, and they also opened Project Night Care in Barangay Ma-ao and a primary care facility in the upper barangays of the city.
The mayor also reported that they completed 22 infrastructure projects worth P36.9 million that directly improved health, education, tourism, and public service facilities.
Following Typhoon “Tino,” she said the locality constructed a 22-meter footbridge in Barangay Mailum’s Sitio Tabidiao, and a 44-meter steel footbridge at Buenos Aires Mountain Resort in Barangay Ilijan to restore safe passage for residents.
Meanwhile, Bago City generated a total revenue of P1.95 billion. This came from P327.08 million in local sources and P1.62 billion from the National Tax Allotment.
Bago prioritized social services with P75.34 million, which includes the health programs amounting to P38.56 million, education support at P6.45 million, and social welfare assistance at P12.57 million.
The administration has also allocated P34.83 million for economic services. This included P11.87 million for agriculture to support the farmers and ensure food security, and P851,890 for livelihood programs to create jobs and opportunities for every family.
“We also invested P92.39 million for roads and P10.73 million for water to bring basic services closer to our barangays. And we set aside P6.97 million for the environment to protect our natural resources and strengthen our disaster resilience,” the mayor said.
She said that they are building the foundation for a strong and resilient Bago.
“Let us continue building a city that does not simply grow, but grows with purpose; a city that does not simply prosper, but prospers together; and a city that does not simply lead, but leads with compassion,” the mayor added./MAP, WDJ