WITH infrastructure and community developments continually pouring in this territory widely known as home to the Philippines' biggest banana farm, Panabo City seems to be at par with the country's streak of progress.
In his State of the City Address (SOCA), City Mayor Engr. James Gamao revealed the projects accomplished and in line for his administration.
For fiscal year 2017, the City Government income-generating offices ensured collection efficiency above its target totaling to P957 million which is almost P100 million higher than the previous year’s P865 million.
The City is continuously working on capability development of its public servants not just in the city, but also in the barangay level. Barangay Administrative Enhancement Program to support the development planning of barangays, including crafting of Barangay Development Plans (BDPs) and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in their plans, programs, and activities.
Panabo City also anchors its responsibility to uplift the well-being of its people through effective and sustainable social development programs implementation. To supplement Republic Act 10868 or the Centenarian Act of 2016, the City provided an additional cash gift to our centenarians worth P30,000 each.
The City is proud and honored to have three centenarians from barangays San Nicolas, JP Laurel, and New Pandan who have been granted by the DSWD XI and the LGU, with a total of P130,000 each.
The city's Senior Citizen Day Center, located at Barangay New Pandan is now fully operational to cater 9,991 registered senior citizens who have been provided with IDs and purchased booklets.
The City has provided burial assistance worth P2.5 million in 2017 to 562 bereaved families of our senior citizens.
In terms of women empowerment, the Gender and Development Office has strengthened our advocacies on women’s rights through seminars on leadership and gender sensitivity. We have provided livelihood trainings, sports, and cultural activities to create an environment that is conducive, engaging and empowering to all women.
With regards to information services, the city improved it to promote people’s participation in the implementation of projects, programs, and activities geared toward social development. The City Library adjacent to Parks and Plaza enabled students, professors, and researchers to access not only physical materials, but also digital references by utilizing the Tech4Ed program of the Department of Information and Communication Technology.
The library also serves as a center for farmers to research good farming innovations and practices. The Agricultural Training Institute has opened the Farmers Information and Technology Services or FITS Center to empower local farmers. They can now be provided with credible information on farming technologies and research that farmers can adapt and replicate to boost their agricultural productivity.
The city also maintains its official website, www.panabocity.gov.ph, to enable easy access to credible information. This website features citizen’s charter for permits and licensing services and the pilot executive local governance dashboard of the United Nations Development Program Sustainable Development Goals.
Driven by the principle of putting premium to education, the City catered scholarships to 168 students – these are the beneficiaries of the city’s Iskolar ng Lungsod Program, IP and Muslims Educational Grant and Vocational Technology Grant.
I am grateful and proud to announce that our scholars are soon to be graduating from their respective four-year, two-year and technical vocational courses.
The city's Muslim Community enrolled 662 morits in nine madrasah centers in the five barangays, which is 32 percent higher than the previous school year.
The Madrasah Center catered enrollees who are evacuees from Marawi City last year. For school year 2016 to 2017, a total graduate of 77 preschoolers and 50 elementary morits were recorded.
With regards to health and nutrition, the City Health Office has enrolled 833 individuals for PhilHealth Insurance and catered 83 emergency Philhealth beneficiaries under the PhilHealth Indigency Program as well as their efficient and expedient attendance to their clients. The City Health Office has successfully conducted several dental services and served more than ten thousand patients for laboratory services.
On February 26, 2017, a Kasalan ng Lungsod was conducted, where 65 indigent couples finally made their vows in the matrimony of marriage.
For its housing services, the City was helping 632 household beneficiaries in six urban poor associations to access affordable housing opportunities under the Socialized Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) of the National Government through our Local Community Mortgage Program (LCMP).
At present, more than half of the six urban poor associations have already received the first 50 percent of the financing aid by the SHFC.
This year, we are targeting that all of the six LCMP areas will be completed. The City Housing Section drafted the Local Shelter Plan, which will be endorsed for review by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and later on be finalized for approval by the City Council.
Seeking safety community and peaceful living, the city, through the support of Philippine National Police and Peace, Order and Public Safety Section of the LGU, reduced the crime incidents in the City from 1,078 in 2016 to 596 in 2017.
With its continuing adherence to the “Fight Against Drugs” of the President, Panabo City has conducted anti-drug abuse symposiums to more than five thousand individuals, in collaboration with the different national government and private agencies. These activities were done in various schools, private establishments, barangay communities, and different offices in the City and national line agencies.
In the celebration of the Buwan ng Tribu, different activities were conducted to showcase the cultures and talents of the IPs. Other highlights include the Bagobo Tribal Wedding and the grand medical outreach and services under the WHAPEE caravan participated by IPs of the different tribes in the city.
Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas” who obtained the IBF WBO Title, the city's hero in the boxing arena received support and love of his people as he fought his way to win his matches.
The City prioritizes investment promotion initiatives to generate income with pioneering, non-pioneering, and expanding businesses. With the Panabo Investment Promotion and Incentive Administration Board or PIPIAB, the city was able to facilitate six large-scale investors in their respective investment interests. There are nearly sixty investors and local enterprises, as well as 289 MSMEs who were assisted through our Negosyo Center.
The City holds disaster resiliency programs through the implementation of Republic Act 10121 or the Act strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System, mandating us to make initiatives for resiliency and emergency responsiveness.
In 2018, a bolster of changes will be seen as the Annual Investment Program set forth to embark on the grid of urbanization has already been approved.
Aligning on the National Government's Ambisyon Natin 2040, the City Mayor guarantees that every Panaboan will rise above the poverty line.