MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes delivered his State of the City Address (Soca) Sunday afternoon, Aug. 30, 2020, as the city celebrated its 51st Charter Day.
Cortes highlighted the City Government’s efforts in fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
He attributed the recent drop in active cases and the rise in recoveries to the City’s contact tracing team, diagnostic and testing team, patient management and monitoring team, logistics and support team, data management team and management of the dead.
The mayor said they’ve pulled out from public schools they used as isolation centers and built two additional isolation centers at Norkis Park and the former Cebu North Bus Terminal.
Cortes said the City released P265.5 million in financial assistance to the elderly and persons with disability when the city was placed under enhanced community quarantine.
A total of 361,994 relief goods were distributed to all city residents during this period.
The city also provided 120 buses to ferry residents to neighboring cities and towns.
With more people using bicycles, Cortes said they’ve set up a bicycle repair station on S.B. Cabahug St. and they plan to put up more.
In support of the new learning set-up, he said the City allocated P130 million for the purchase of information technology equipment, such as laptops and other gadgets for students and teachers to use this coming school year.
In the fight against Covid-19, Cortes said the City’s resources would not have been enough were it not for the support of donors who continue to donate personal protective equipment to frontliners, food, disinfectant, alcohol and Covid-related equipment.
To promote peace and order, Cortes said they’ve provided 11 sports utility vehicles and 22 motorcycles to the Mandaue City Police Office so they can conduct more patrols and increase police visibility.
The City also provided new garbage trucks to each of the 27 barangays.
For next year, the mayor said the City plans to buy a ladder that can reach up to nine floors with two penetrators that the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office can use in fighting fires.
Cortes also announced that a sports oval in Barangay Labogon will soon rise, and phase one of the project will start next year.
To help micro and small enterprises that have been affected by the health crisis, Cortes said the City has partnered with financial institutions that can provide funding. (KFD)