CATBALOGAN City Mayor Stephanie Uy-Tan will deliver her State of the City Address (Soca) at the Samar State University on Tuesday, July 1, 2014.
Dubbed as “Pagpahamtang: 2014 State of the City Address,” the Soca reflects the collective struggles and success of the city under Uy-Tan's administration.
“I am hoping that you can join us on this day as our way of giving thanks for the harmonious working relationship that we have cultivated in extending service to all Catbaloganons,” said the mayor.
Catbalogan City is one of the three new cities in Eastern Visayas along with the cities of Borongan in Eastern Samar and Baybay in Leyte province.
Under the administration of Mayor Uy-Tan, Catbalogan had significantly achieved several achievements in its peace and order and nutrition programs.
The city now ranked second to Ormoc among cities in the region with highest underweight prevalence of 0-71-month-old children from being first in 2011 and 2012, according to the 2013 Operation Timbang (OPT) consolidated by the National Nutrition Council.
It also ranked second in OPT among 0-23 months old preschool children.
Nationally, the city was placed 14th among cities/municipalities with underweight prevalence among 0-71 months old pre-school children and 0-23 months old pre-school children, and ranked 31st among 0-59 months old pre-school children.
For security and crime prevention, the City Government had installed CCTV cameras in different parts of the city to augment the police in crime prevention campaign.
The City Government also implemented “Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities Training (Erpat)” through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for fathers to enhance their knowledge, attitudes and skills as primary educators in the development of their children.
It also continues to implement the Hunger Mitigation Rice Subsidy Program that was introduced during the term of Uy-Tan's father as city mayor of Catbalogan and continued by the current administration, giving nine kilos of rice to every indigent residents of the city.
Despite the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda last year, Catbalogan was able to help devastated local government units (LGUs) in the region and was the first LGU to dispatch relief and rescue personnel to Tacloban City.
In relation to this, the City Government held the “Pasidungog: A Thanksgiving and Recognition for the Little Heroes of Yolanda” that honors the men, women, groups, businesses, agencies and LGUs that donated, took part or extended assistance to the City Government’s rescue and relief operations campaign that was dubbed “#SalbarSamar.”
“My first year as the local chief executive of this city is about to come full circle and on this momentous occasion, I am hoping that we can come together to share in the accomplishments in the same way that we have shared in the struggles and challenges of this very critical period of my administration,” Mayor Uy-Tan said.
“Let us take the time to relish the fruits of our labor on this day and furthermore, may this reunion fortifies our bonds in preparation for more challenges ahead,” she added.
Soca is only optional according to the Department of Interior and Local Government under the Local Government Code of 1991, but the department is encouraging all local chief executives to have their own state of the province, city or municipality address to let their constituents know what their leaders are doing and had achieved. (PNA)