Diario Verdad Vol.2 Issue No. 2

State of the City Address: The Climaco 2020 Report (continued) (p. 2)

In Support of ABS-CBN

(p. 2)

REPORTING TRUTH WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

ZC gives cash aid to fire survivors Vol. 2, No. 2

The City Government Tuesday released some P214, 000 worth of financial assistance to victims of a fire incident that broke out in Campo Islam October 20 last year.

Acting Mayor Rommel Agan spearheaded the distribution of the cash assistance to the 57 families displaced by the fire during simple rites held in City Hall Tuesday morning.

Agan said the cash aid is in addition to the relief assistance earlier provided by the City Government. The amount will help alleviate the plight of the affected families, he said.

The grant of cash assistance

January 28-February 3, 2020

ZAMBOANGA CITY, PHILIPPINES

P14.00

is facilitated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) following the conduct of assessment and validation of names of victims.

The amount given to each family was based on the damage incurred as stipulated in a resolution of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).

Of the total 57 displaced families, 23 were with totally damaged houses while 31 were with partially damaged dwellings. Three (3) were sharers with partially damaged houses. (Sheila Covarrubias)

Acting Mayor Rommel Agan presents a total of P214k cash aid to survivors of the October 20 fire that broke out in Campo Islam last year. PHOTO BY KATHY WEE SIT

Climaco, Duterte - Carpio in US for IVLP

Cong. Jawo Jimenez expresses support to the First Cabatangan Urban Poor Federation General Assembly as part of his community service program. Known as the congresista del masa or ‘congressman of the masses’, Jimenez commits himself to verdadero servicio publico, or genuine public service. PHOTO COURTESY OF C2DO

Court sentences 6 fishers to prison over illegal fishing within ENIPAS site The 6th Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Labason-Gutalac-Kalawit sentenced six (6) fishermen to an imprisonment of a maximum of two years and minimum of one year over compressor fishing within Murcielagos Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (MIPLS) in Labason, Zamboanga del Norte.

Compressor fishing is a violation against Section 18, paragraph e of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act or R.A. No. 11038, which includes among the prohibited acts within the protected area the use of any fishing and harvesting gear and practices that destroy coral reefs, seagrass beds, or other marine life

and their associated habitats.

Coral reefs are some of the most biodiverse systems in the world.

Aside from providing habitats and shelter for many marine organisms, they also protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms.

Five of the accused were ordered to be detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte pending the approval of their application for probation. On the other hand, the cash bail bond of one of the accused shall remain valid and effective pending the approval of his application for probation.

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Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Michael Angelo Saavedra, Chief of Staff of the City Mayor’s Office, and Task Force Davao Commander Consolito Yecla continue to be on the second week in the United States for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) sponsored by the US State Department.

The Philippine delegation, composed of public servants from Davao and Zamboanga Cities, is spearheaded by the two lady mayors of Mindanao’s key entry point cities, are in the US for the project, ‘Strong Cities, Strong Partnerships: A Comprehensive Approach to Preventing Terrorism in SouthEast Asia’ under the US’

ZC Mayor Beng Climaco and Chief of Staff Mike Saavedra together with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Task Force Davao Commander Consolito Yecla attend meetings on terrorism in Washington, D. C. under the auspices of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the US State Department. PHOTO COURTESY OF MASS State Department’s auspices.

Mindanao’s lady mayors and

Saavedra along with other key government officials from Davao have left mid-January for said program, which is a combination of executive leadership especially “on preventing terrorism in Southeast Asia”. They were welcomed at the US Embassy in Manila by US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Law on January 10.

The US Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism also posted on Twitter a photo of Duterte-Carpio and Climaco along with Ambassador Nathan Sales, who they met for discussions on efforts against terrorism and violent extremism in Mindanao.

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Marines from MBLT 11 dare the heat of the sun planting mangroves (inset) in Mampang coasts. 11MB

Marines, partners plant mangroves in Mariki

The biodiversity-rich Murcielagos Island Protected Landscape and Seascape is habitat to terrestrial and migratory birds and hosts a variety of marine life. The twin islands are surrounded by about 250 hectares of coral reefs in fair to good condition. DENRPAO9

The “Matatag” Battalion of the Philippine Marine Corps joined the Mampang Barangay Local Government Unit, and partners in the Mangrove Planting Activity in Mampang last Sunday.

The endeavor was part of

Environmental Protection Program, that aims to promote the National Greening Program (NGP) of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR).

The project was a joint effort with partners Philippine Coast

Guard and Zamboanga City Police Office, the Zamboanga City Peacemakers Eagles Club.

The Matatag Marines belong to the 11th Marine Battalion Landing Team, which is currently deployed in Zamboanga City. (MB)

02

OP-ED

Editorial

In Support of ABS-CBN

For the past years since the late Eugenio Lopez has founded ABSCBN, the broadcasting network has been part of the daily lives of its listeners and televiewers from dawn till midnight. It even used to be 24 hours in past decades.

Media personalities and colleagues even from rival networks have expressed s u p p o r t — mediamen are just in solidarity with the thousands of employees of the network, that would be bound to lose employment should its franchise not be renewed by Philippine Congress.

The President of the Philippines, tough and firm in his decisión, has just been cold in his decisión to have the franchise left unrenewed, even daring Eugenio Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Lopez to sell the network, yet without naming who the potential buyer could be.

Most Congressional Representatives have, on their part, been mum about the franchise issue. Batangas solon Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto has earlier suggested to “leave the ABS-CBN franchise to the ‘sound discretion’ of the congressmen,” while House Speaker Alan Peter Cateyano assured the Filipino people that Congress would be “fair” in deliberating the bill seeking to renew the ABS-CBN Corporation’s legislative franchise.

Diario Verdad Semanal has expressed early this month its support for the network, not just for those from ABS-CBN Zamboanga but in the entire Philippines. This is for 3 reasons: One, the network has served the Filipino people in information dissemination, in entertainment. Two, its workforce have extended community service in several occasions when they served families and communities especially during disasters. And three, the network’s non-renewal of franchise would domino effect to termination of employment, and should there be a sale to another network or to another buyer, it would go through a process of retrenchment or loss of employment and increase in unemployment.

May the solons be enlightened. (DVS)

PHOTO FEATURE

Tireless City health workers and volunteers continue searching for eligible children in every nook and cranny of the city for the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio mOPV 2 on the 6th day of the campaign. The anti-polio drive for children below 5 years old runs from JANUARY 20- FEBRUARY 2. Photo shows health workers in action in barangays San Jose Gusu, Vitali and Guiwan.

CHO/CHRISTINE LIM

Salute, MGen. Paredes!

January 28-February 3, 2020

REPORTING TRUTH WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

(This is a free public space for Zamboangueños. The views are solely the writer’s and not that of Diario Verdad. Contributing writers’/readers’ work may be accepted when they meet ethical standards, agree to be subjected to editing on grammar and mechanics, and provide short background and a contact point.—Ed.) We congratMaj. GenerFree Public Space ulate the new Readers’ Personal Opinion al Allen Paredes appointment of has one advoMaj. Gen. Allen Paredes as the cacy, and that is to modernize new commanding general of the the Philippine Airforce to a level Philippine Air Force. Maj. Gen. equal, if not more than equal othAllen Paredes hails from Iloilo er airforces in the Southeast Asian and is married to a Zamboangue- region. nia named Jewel Lledo Paredes, Maj. Gen. Allen Paredes was daughter of Atty. Ramon and Prof. the official pilot of President NonJosefina B. Lledo, once the dean of oy Aquino, later retaining that post college of the Ateneo de Zambo- during the term of President Roanga University. Maj. Gen. Allen drigo Duterte. He was the official Paredes graduated at the top of pilot who flew Pope Francis during his class and later on pursued his the pontiff ’s visit to Manila. military career in the Philippines Known to be a quiet worker Airforce, becoming one of the and an achiever, it is no wonder most bemedalled officers and the that President Duterte has chosen youngest officer ever to be pro- him to head this very important moted to the rank of General. position in the military.

His combat experience and inWe look forward to his ternational training has prepared achievement for the Philippine him for his job as commanding Airforce, especially here in Zamgeneral of the air force. Including boanga, where he began his career his reputation of becoming one of as a young lieutenant fresh from the very few foreign officer who the academy. topped the top gun trading in the To him we say congratulations.

United States.

(Erasimo Nalugi)

STATE OF THE CITY ADRESS 2020 The Climaco 2020 Report

Continued from last issue While I am the Mayor, we will remain firm in our stand against mining in the City as we urge our Congressional Representatives to pass measures protecting all of our watersheds and their buffer zones.

As part of our quest for enhanced execution of our environmental programs and projects, the multi-sectoral Technical Working Groups (TWG) led in the completion of environmental plans for optimum use and sustainable development of our city’s natural resources, its habitats and species-level biodiversity. With technical assistance from USAID-Protect Wildlife Project and inputs from concerned national regulatory agencies, academe and other partner stakeholders, OCENR was able to draft these developmental plans and frameworks which include the following: The Management and Development Plans of the Great and Little Sta. Cruz Islands Protected Landscape and Seascape and the Pasonanca Natural Park, the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) for 2019 to 2027 and the Zamboanga City Central Mangrove Forest Framework covering the core barangays of Mampang and Talon-Talon and adjacent barangays that are teeming with mangrove forests to help stabilize the coastline and cushion the impacts of climate change to sustain livelihood and food security in the nearby communities.

We also updated the draft management and development plan of priority watersheds under a co-management agreement with DENR Region IX for the Ayala and Manicahan watersheds and pushed for the completion of our Biodiversity Management Framework program for habitat and wildlife management as well as build-up the capacity of the local inter-agencies on law enforcement in combating wildlife trafficking One of our noteworthy

achievements in wildlife management in coordination with the City Tourism Office is at Siromon Island in Barangay Dita and Barangay Panubigan by setting-up of enclosures at the nesting sites of the endangered species of marine turtle hatchlings against predators and assisted in releasing them in their natural habitat.

Similarly, the USAID Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project also provided assistance in organizing a multi-sectoral group in the drafting of the Environmental Code of Zamboanga City which aims to promote sustainable development and resiliency with its framework that contained and defined our environmental policies and regulations. It is now undergoing the review and consultation process by the Sangguniang Panlungsod for possible enactment into an ordinance.

All of these accomplishments led to us being bestowed with the Green Thumb Award by the Manila Times through its Philippines Top Model Cities, recognizing the City and its leadership that prioritizes the well-being of the environment.

Aside from solid waste and our fight for environmental protection, traffic and road congestion remain a challenge too as our City expands.

We continue to open new roads such as the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue Extension and the Tetuan to Kasanyangan alternate road and widen critical strategic roads to alleviate traffic and accommodate the increasing volume of vehicles in our streets. This year, we will prioritize the opening of a new road connecting Don Toribio Street to Mayor Vitaliano Agan Avenue exiting beside Hondo Motors and the Phase 3 of Tugbungan Barigon connecting to Boalan Highway!

Last year, upon the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte, the

City Administrator’s Office together with the Barangay Affairs Office led in the clearing of all public roads and sidewalks of illegal structures and constructions within 60 days and we were given a high passing mark of 90 points for our road clearing operations by the DILG. Towing operations also kicked off last September through the procurement of a tow truck making it possible for the issuance of citation tickets to a total of 531 violators in just three months since its full implementation. The traffic enforcement unit also reported a total apprehension of 25,412 traffic violators raking in a total collection of P26 Million for the LGU. Aside from this, the Zamboanga City Police Office also reported a total of 44,839 Citation Tickets and 844 Temporary Operator’s Permits (TOPs) that were issued to traffic violators for 2019 and a total of 2,444 motorcycles and 26 motor vehicles that were impounded.

Claro cay el disiplina del maga motorista ta esta siempre un grande concierne na diatun esfuerzo para mantene orden y mejora el situacion del trafico na diatun maga camino. We recognize the hardwork and protect the welfare of our police and traffic enforcers as they dedicate their lives in the line of duty in manning our streets.The City Administrator’s Office initiated and worked for the signing of the Contract made and entered into between the City Government of Zamboanga and the UP National Center for Transportation and Studies Foundation, Inc. for the Transport and Traffic Management Study. This, as I sought for technical assistance support on this matter which will lead to the identification of transport terminal hubs and contribute in the updating of our Traffic Code.

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Need to Scrutinize ZCWD

(Frank and Candid is a weekly column of Diario Verdad. Mr. Erasimo Nalugi is a long-time resident of Zamboanga City and is an observer of the local political scene.—Ed.) The technical working group Commission on Audit findings created by Mayor Beng Clima- that it has a 93 per cent collecco-Salazar to look into the Zam- tion efficiency. They still have boanga City Water Distrcit pro- to answer questions raised about posal for a wáter rate increase onerous contracts with Manila should scrutinize into the finan- Waters, which agency was concial records of the wáter utilities. tracted to help bring down the We are informed that no less systems loss. than the manager seems to be Somehow, suspicions of colluuncooperative in providing the sion and corruption, and admisdata pertaining to the financial sions recently of the Chairman of records of the wáter utility— the Board getting into business thus raising a very serious ques- deals with Manila Waters spells tion whether management has a lack of delicadeza as well as an something to hide why ZCWD is admission of conflict of interests. incurring losses of 62.62 percent It is high time that the issue of its production. about the wáter district be subFurthermore, management jected to further scrutiny and has not made it clear where the investigation by no less than the money was spent for the pro- Presidential Anti-Graft Commisposed improvements, despite sion. We are informed that offi-

Frank and Candid

by Erasimo Nalugi

cials in the wáter district receive fat salaries despite the por performance. Somehow it doesn’t seem right that consumer members should be made to pay for the extravagance of this wáter utility.

Cong. Jawo Jimenez made the right call to demand for the removal of the present management, and maybe certain members of the board should also be removed for their reflectiveness in representing the interest of the consumer public of Zamboanga.

(EN)

EDITORIAL STAFF: Editor-in-Chief: Frencie Carreon; Associate Editor: Roland Estrada; Art Director: Paul Mark Morales; Assistant Art Director: Carl Delusa; Feature Editor: Yasmeena Asanji; Business Manager: Maria Atilano; Circulation Manager: Diana Ledesma; Diario Verdad Semanal is a weekly newspaper published and circulated in Zamboanga City. It holds office at Maven Media Asia, Gov. Ramos Avenue, Sta. Maria, Zamboanga City. Contributions, concerns on advertising and subscription may be sent to diarioverdadsemanal@gmail.com. Inquiries may be asked through Mobile No. 0995 327 1048.

Zamboanga City

State... (from Page 2)

We request the Sanggunian Panglungsod to remain steadfast in reviewing and updating our traffic code as we also push for the modernization of our Transport and Traffic Management Systems.

The volume of vehicles in our roads also reflects how Zamboanga has progress in leaps and bounds.

More than 150 units of taxis are now plying our streets including the first batch of environment-friendly tricycles composed of 38 units toward Euro 4-compliance in five years’ time. Currently the cooperative has grown to 200 members. The drivers are thankful for the opportunity given by the local government because it has increased their income and drastically cut fuel cost. These public utility vehicles, purchased with funding assistance from the ZGEMPCO group and the Land Bank of the Philippines, are part of the transport modernization program, which the City Government aims to complete within the next five years.

Indeed, our economy has expanded exponentially not just in the transport sector and volume of vehicles but with the registered business establishments too now totalling to 13,076 in 2019 compared to 9,232 business establishments in 2014. We have launched an unprecedented boom as part of our rebuilding after the Zamboanga Siege. SM Mindpro and City Mall Guiwan will soon open while our local chains of stores such as Makers, Yubenco and Budgetwise have expanded and opened new branches as far as Sangali, Ayala and Zamboanga Sibugay providing more options and plenty of jobs to our people. The entry of FilInvest through Futura Homes also testifies to the booming household income of the people of Zamboanga as it is the very first condominium project of its kind in the region.

Our vibrant economy is now a home to 6 malls, 11 canning factories, 8 private hospitals, 49 pension houses, 36 hotels, and 86 banks and counting, not to include the international brands of restaurants and retail shops that have opened for the very first time including car companies and automotive manufacturers that rolled out their latest units and models here.

This new wave of investments has generated jobs lowering down unemployment rate in the City and even in the region. The Department of Labor of Employment has awarded our Public Employment Service Office as the Most Outstanding PESO for a highly urbanized city for its efficient and effective employment facilitation services. We have accomplished the highest job placement through a total of 13 job fairs for 2019 that has hired thousands of Zamboanguenos including the highest number of indigent students hired during summer under the Special Program for the Employment of Students.

As we grow, we continue to promote the City of Zamboanga as an investment destination as we have participated in various trade expositions and events such as the Manila FAME fashion and lifestyle show in April and the International Food Expo in May at the World Trade Center, the Zamboanga Peninsula Exposition in August at SM Megamall, the Mindanao Trade Expo at Abreeza Mall in Davao, the Mindanao Business Conference in Iligan City and the 4th Nation-

al Sardines Congress highlighting our vibrant canning industry that continuously propel our City as an economic giant in this side of Mindanao.

In fact, we are a finalist in the Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit Award City Level 1 given by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. We were cited for exemplifying commendable initiatives towards good governance reforms that promote trade and investment and significantly contribute to local economic development.

The ease of making business here is far better now. In the opening of this year, the business sector felt again the speedy processing of business permits with our Business One Stop Shop or BOSS that has streamlined processing of business permits from its multiple steps years ago to just two-steps since last year – Application and Payment and you will have your permits issued right away in just a few minutes.

With this new development, we were conferred with a Special Citation from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for our efforts to streamline business processes and strategies toward improving business sector confidence by supporting national government efforts to reduce criminality and proliferation of prohibited drugs.

It is clear that our improving peace and order situation in the City is directly linked to the increasing volume of investments pouring in to Zamboanga today.

Mas mucho maga negocio ta abri cay mas grande el confianza del maga negociante na govierno local y mas embuenamente ya ahora el situacion del paz y orden na Ciudad comparando antes. Ya visita el Ambassador del Embajada de España Jorge Moragas Sanchez y el Consul General del Embajada de Japan Yoshi Aki Miwa para na cooperacion internacional del mantencion de paz na Ciudad de Zamboanga.

For the first time, in our modern day history as a City, we have dropped down shooting incidences to a half! In 2019, there is a drop of almost 50% on the total number of shooting incidents and 26% decrease in our non-index crimes.

Antes, todo kita miedo na monton de tiroteo que ta sucede na diatun Ciudad. But with the efforts of our local police force together with Task Force Zamboanga and the LGU support to all our units, we have significantly improved our peace and order situation. In fact, we have maintained our record of zero bombing, zero kidnapping and zero piracy in our seas for the last four years.

We thank President Rodrigo Duterte for reappointing me again as the Chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council. Thank you for the trust you have bestowed on me to help consolidate efforts in the region in fighting crime and terrorism and ensuring regional cooperation in the maintenance of peace and order.

We convened the City Peace and Order Council last week and we decided to retain the implementation of the “No ID, No Entry” policy in Zamboanga City notwithstanding the end of martial law in Mindanao.

This, as the Zamboanga City Police Office, Joint Task Force Zamboanga and other law enforcement units in the city are maintaining and sustaining all security measures they had implemented during the martial law period in Mindanao.

REPORTING TRUTH WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

As it was during martial law period, provincial bus passengers coming to the city are asked to alight from the bus upon reaching the checkpoint (in the east coast) and present their identification (ID) cards before they are allowed to get in the bus again and proceed to the city via the Integrated Bus Terminal (IBT).

Both the police and JTFZ reported to the CPOC that nothing has changed in the city’s security measures during this post-martial law period. In fact, more measures are recommended.

The police will maintain deployment of personnel to the central business district and adjacent barangays in coordination with TFZ. Also sustained are the deployment of the mobile force company personnel for checkpoints and the inspection of finger wharves and private ports and engaging the stakeholders and security agencies to remind them of the intensified security measures in the City. The police are also keeping their interoperability with friendly forces, and deployment of personnel to Sta. Cruz Islands and Eleven Islands.

We will not give terrorists an opportunity to conduct terroristic activities in Zamboanga City! We deny them the opportunity to conduct terror in Zamboanga City.

The Zamboanga City Police Office conducted a total of 40 operations against loose firearms, which resulted to 35 persons arrested and the confiscation of 75 short FAs, 4 long FAs, 20 grenades, 3 other explosives, and 713 ammunitions.

The Oplan Linis Layag conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard through shore and sea borne patrol to infiltrate high risk areas in Southwestern Mindanao and profile all motorized watercraft was also able to apprehend lawless elements and confiscate more than P20 Million worth of smuggled goods. This has resulted from an intensified anti-smuggling operations, intelligence gathering and coordination with other counterparts. Their capacity will even be further calibrated upon completion of their ongoing Radar Station project at Barangay Rio Hondo.

Muchas gracias, Philippine Coast Guard.

The Joint Task Force Zamboanga also contributed to our anti-smuggling operations by apprehending a total of P53.7 Million worth of Smuggled Goods. They also apprehended four Abu Sayyaf members, seven lawless elements and 21 drug personalities.

Meanwhile, the Zamboanga City Police Office was able to arrest eight Abu Sayyaf members and 3 Criminal Gang and Gun-for-Hire members. Their office also arrested a total of 172 wanted persons and 34 Top Most Wanted Persons for 2019.

For our fight against illegal drugs, the ZCPO together with PDEA conducted a total of 1,062 operations, which includes 968 buy-bust operations, 23 Interdictions, 45 Search Warrants, 11 Warrant of Arrest, 14 Police Response, and 1 Oplan Sita resulting in the arrest of 1,416 drug personalities, which includes 13 who are High Value Targets (HVTs). Confiscated during the said operations were: 11,428.4 grams of Shabu with a total estimated street value of P77 Million Pesos.

For 2019, we have declared 9 out of 98 barangays as drug free.

Enhorabuena to barangays Pasil-

NEWS manta, Landang Laum, Tictapul, Sibulao, Lumayang, Lanzones, Capisan, Dulian in Upper Pasonanca and Tigbalabag for being drug-cleared. There is still so much work to be done but we are gaining grounds in our fight against illegal drugs.

Efforts to have more drugcleared barangays will continue, with PDEA targeting a total of 20 drug-cleared barangays for 2020.

It was also in 2019 that the Zamboanga City Police Office was conferred with the Best Police Office Award for 2018 besting other police offices in the country, recognizing its accomplishments and the capacity of its facilities especially by housing the Security and Surveillance Equipment and System project of the LGU completed last October 2019.

Since last year, we have been implementing the best in class Command Center with 12 Large Format Displays to monitor the

03

130 Full High Definition Cameras installed around the central business district that can provide Video Analytics such as Face Recognition, unattended object detection and smart searches for specific objects.

The command center operates continuously 24/7 by a team of operators at a rotating shift schedule. The command center together with the PNP and 911 unit have attributed to a series of crime resolution such as the apprehension of high value theft at local establishments downtown and the drag-racing shooting incident of a Policemen at Nuñez Extension.

The center have also alerted the PNP for immediate action on various emergency incidents such as vehicular incidents, pickpockets, carnapping, rescue of mentally deranged persons, illegal drag racing, brawl and public disturbance, and traffic violations.

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IT’S BACK! Tala your way in our P-Pop dance station this year for the Zamboanga Music Runvolution 4.0! Dance every step of the way from the Butterfly Garden to the Climaco Freedom Park on February 25, Tuesday, 4PM! There will be seven dance stations this year (rock, hiphop, neo ethnic, latin, p-pop, retro & k-pop) in this one of a kind fun run in the City! #ZamboMusicRunVolution #DiaDeZamboanga #iLoveZamboangaCity #MasAlegreAhoraNaZamboanga

Climaco,... (from Page 1)

On the same day, the IVLP delegates participated in the discussions on the fundamentals of US Governance, including elections and federalism with Sarah Nugent of the US State Department and Dr. Steven Billet of George Washington University.

On Friday, the IVYL delegates called on the Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, who, along with the Embassy staff in Washington, D. C., hosted a reception for them.

Thereafter, they had meetings with the Department of Homeland Security and the All Dulles

Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center, which is one of the largest communities in the Washington, DC Metro Area and in the US. “It engages in regular interfaith, government relations, social and community services,” Saavedra shared.

Climaco and Saavedra, Duterte-Carpio and Yecla likewise had a meeting with Ambassador Atul Keshapt of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and USAID Asia Bureau Chief Gloria Steele, who was former Deputy Mission Chief in the Philippines and has gone to both Davao and Zamboanga Cities in the past.

(Frencie Carreon)

ZC Mayor Beng Climaco and Chief of Staff Mike Saavedra together with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Task Force Davao Commander Consolito Yecla attend meetings on terrorism in Washington, D. C. under the auspices of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the US State Department. PHOTO COURTESY OF MASS

04

NEWS

State... (from Page 3)

Because of this, the City Government of Zamboanga through the Computer Services Division became a national finalist for the category “Best in eGov Systems for Global Competitiveness (G2W) Award” for its Security and Surveillance Equipment and System project given by the DICT. The success of the project will not stop here, this year we will be implementing phase 2 wherein we will be adding another 100 more Full High Definition Cameras to increase the coverage of the surveillance area. We will also implement a Command Center system integrated to the Computer-Aided Dispatch (911) system with Area and GIS Maps. We will also implement a vehicle or asset tracking system to identify and monitor the locations of the policemen, ambulance or fire truck.

We thank the Sanggunian Panglungsod for passing Ordinance No. 499 Mandating Business Establishments Operating within the Territorial Jurisdiction of the City of Zamboanga to install CCTV System and prescribing penalties for violations thereof. This will also pave the way for our private sector to contribute in calibrating our preventive security measures all over the City for faster crime resolution and efficiency.

Zamboanga City was conferred the Top 1 Performing City award for the 2019 Regional Disaster Preparedness Index by the Department of the Interior and Local Government R-IX. The City Government of Zamboanga bagged the award as the Regional Winner for the 21st Gawad Kalasag Search for Excellence in DRRM and humanitarian assistance for best Highly Urbanized City category.

The City Government of Zamboanga is also the first in the Philippines to initiate a special medical facility as life-saving support known as the Heart Station. The Heart Station contains a defibrillator, oxygen tank, medical kit, mini fire extinguisher, and fire blanket.

The Heart Stations were installed at City Hall, the Office of the City Health, at the Cristino M. Paragas Memorial Community Hospital in Quiniput, Office of the ZCDRRMO, at the Integrated Bus Terminal, at the Philippine Ports Authority, at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and at the Sangguniang Panlungsod and additional ten (10) units will be procured this year and will be distributed to other government buildings and vital facilities in the City.

We turned over 10 units of 4×2 six-wheeler firetrucks to the Bureau of Fire Protection that has the capacity of 3,000 liters of water each and all are Euro 4 compliant to beef up our response during fire incidences.

We initiated the distribution of DRRM Manuals and Go Bags to various sectors in the City as an IEC campaign and advocacy on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in addressing the four thematic areas of RA 10121. The manual consolidated information from different key stakeholders such as PHIVOLCS, MGB, DOST PAGASA, BFP among others.

We also installed Accelorographs at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, the Integrated Bus Terminal, City Hall,

January 28-February 3, 2020

REPORTING TRUTH WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum and here at the Sangguniang Panlungsod to be able to provide a real-time alarm information (audio, visual or both) during an earthquake event. The City Government of Zamboanga is the first LGU in the Philippines to comply with the requirements of the DPWH NBCDO Memorandum Circular No. 01 Series of 2015 regarding the Guidelines in Implementing Rules on Earthquake Recording Instrument for Buildings.

These efforts reflect how much we have digitalized so far, our responses in various frontline services of the local government.

Advances in information and communication technologies have permeated nearly every aspect of public organizations, revolutionizing the way which government and citizens interact. Advances in technology and the rise of the internet had governments turning online resources for many of their core functions, including economic development. In this new paradigm in public management, government is more accountable, more transparent, and more trustworthy.

Application of the concepts of flexibility and being customer driven can be found on how the City Government of Zamboanga utilized technology to help in streamlining Business Permits, Real Property Tax and Building Permits Systems among others to aid in our economic development.

In the past, Zamboanga City has been awarded one of the Ten Emerging Locations for IT-BPM Operations under the Next Wave Cities program and was further recognized as one of the Top Five LGUs for E-Readiness by the DICT, DILG, DTI and USAID Invest. The survey carried out among 143 cities in the country, assessed the level of preparedness of LGUs to implement ICT projects and to participate in major ICT initiatives such as E-Government, Smarter Cities and other projects that aim to exploit the opportunities and potentials offered by the effective and strategic use of ICT. These recognitions are among Zamboanga’s many firsts.

We signed partnerships with USAID that will allow residents to pay government taxes and fees anytime, anywhere using electronic channels to support our goal of increasing revenue generation through improved and more transparent tax collection.

We also made a breakthrough for being the first City in the entire Mindanao to accept and allow the use of Regular ATM/Debit Transactions and for VISA Credit and Debit Card Transactions in the payment of business and real property taxes through a Merchants Agreement Point of Sale Payment System entered into by and between the City Government of Zamboanga and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Through the City Treasurer’s Office, we also enrolled the City Government to the Land Bank of the Philippines Internet Banking Facility known as weAccess.

Another innovation in governance introduced by our Computer Services Division together with USAID SURGE and the GIS Technical Working Group, is the implementation of the first LGU Geoportal – a repository and portal for geospatial maps. Now, we have geospatial data on agricul-

Experts from Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS-DOST) are using the infrared camera loaned by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) to monitor the activity of Taal volcano. VDAP is also providing remote analytic support to PHIVOLCS as needed.

Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim announced U.S. assistance of $100,000 through USAID Philippines partner World Vision Philippines. The distribution of relief supplies will support 1,900 households comprised of approximately 7,600 people who had to evacuate their homes following the Taal volcano eruptions. This newly announced U.S. assistance complements existing support through ongoing USAID-funded programs to prepare for, respond to and reduce the risk of disasters. tural maps, land parcels, business establishments, schools, health facilities, tourist spots and tourism related establishments, hazard maps, road networks, general land use maps, among others.

All of these can contribute to our economic development. Today’s public sector workers are well educated, and information technology makes a great deal for more information to be available to them. The City Human Resource and Management Office had assured that aspect will be met such as the automation of leave application via a web-based platform and the conduct of our In-house trainings and orientations that also included seminar workshops on Computer Literacy Training, Basic Layouting, Video Editing and Photography, Social Media Management and Content Writing enhancing their technical skills needed for their field of work that is already digitally evolving.

As a result of this, we became a national finalist in the Development Academy of the Philippines Search for Government Best Practices.

Enhorabuena CHRMO! Our employees in the City Accounting Office also underwent an orientation on the updated version of the Electronic New Government Accounting System, PPSAs and other updates on Disbursement Audit. The new system was already installed at the City Accountant’s Office to help improve our financial transactions and reports and lay down a solid guide for sound fiscal decision making and economic resolutions.

With all of these at hand, mitigating corruption can be done when we push for reforms in governance and systems, when we make sure that we focus on results, when we apply technology to make sure that our system is transparent and we involve everyone in the process.

We continue to computerize other systems such as the installation of a document tracking system to cut down red tape in the paper trail of inter-office communications and the development of the Registry Records Information System under the Office of the City Civil Registrar to assist in the computerization of vital records of birth, marriage, death and other vital documents. This will further calibrate our continuous

program to provide birth registry aside from the mobile processing through the regular Dia de Alcaldeza Program.

With the help of technology, the GIS-based taxation of the City Assessor’s Office that uses digitized maps was able to help increase the revenue generation of the City through proper assessment of real properties.

Report from the City Assessor’s Office revealed that the actual assessed value, both taxable and exempt real properties as of the fourth quarter of 2019 is at P20.3 Billion which is higher than the actual assessed value of 2018.

Report from the City Treasurer’s Office showed that as of November 2019, we have collected the amount of P480.6 Million from local sources which is higher than the previous year. Intensification in the collection of local taxes and fees from local sources specifically on the Real Property Tax and Business Tax will be of primary concern this year. Relentless efforts are being made at providing tax payers with efficient delivery of government services by offering diverse payment options, one-stop business facilitation service and collocation with different offices and we will exhaust all possible administrative and legal remedies in levying unpaid real property taxes on delinquent real property owners.

In the SOCA of 2019, we announced a total budget of P4.2 Billion that is pro-poor, pro-people and pro-development. Ya usa kita con este fondo y ya hace bira otravez na de aton maga vivientes especialmente el quien ta necesita el ayuda del govierno local.

How did we spend the 2019 total budget of P4.2 Billion?

For 2019 we have completed a total of 176 infrastructure projects with the total amount of P732. 8 Million! Included here are multi-storey climate-change resilient school buildings with rain water collectors for rain water impounding at Mangusu Integrated School, Zamboanga Central School, Magsaysay Elementary School in Lamisahan, Manicahan Central School, Salum Elementary School in San Roque, Tugbungan Elementary School, Talisayan Elementary School and at the Tuan Datu Hadji Abdullah Nuño Memorial High School in

Taluksangay. We will ensure that we provide quality infrastructure projects for our people through our monitoring teams together with our CSO partners and we warn erring contractors that we will file cases through the City Legal Office for substandard and defective projects. We all deserve the best!

This present Administration also gave much priority to more road projects, to include opening of new routes, widening of existing roads, rehabilitation of damaged roads and asphalt overlay since these types of project will greatly contribute to traffic decongestion in the City.

We have completed the Asphalt Overlay of the roads at the Central Business District and the City Roads in Barangay Zone II, Zone III, Zone IV, Camino Nuevo, Sta. Catalina and Sta. Maria all amounting to a combined total of P116.9 Million.

After completing the desiltation of the Tugbungan River a few years ago, we also completed in 2019 the desiltation of the Vitali River in the amount of P7.9 Million. The dredging of river is periodically being done in order to maintain depth of the river channel and remove silts to address flooding issues at downstream areas.

Our social services also received a huge chunk of the budget last year. By virtue of Ordinance No. 466, the local government was able to grant 26,000 senior citizens of their cash incentives!

Likewise, City Ordinance no.

481 providing Libre Cine to senior citizens was launched last year. As of this date, 13,644 senior citizens, maga lolo y lola el ya puede mira libre sine na KCC! The Center for Mendicants located in Barangay Culianan was also established in 2019 to cater clients who are in the streets begging for food and money. It serves as a venue for profiling and assessment. The City Social Welfare and Development Office together with the Community Police Action Center Personnel, the City Administrator’s Office and our barangays, the center was able to profile and assess 241 minors and adult mendicants to include Psychotic Vagrants in 31 rescue operations.

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Zamboanga City

State... (from Page 4) We are proud to share that Zamboanga City is once again a recipient of the highest Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) and Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Desks Functionality Award – IDEAL for four (4) consecutive years. Likewise, we were able to pass the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) in Region IX conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and we are monitoring the performance of our BCPC to ensure that the last and the least child in their respective barangays are afforded with opportunities to exercise their rights. These accomplishments are proofs of our hardwork and we vow to continue implementing programs and measures to uplift and empower our children.

It is clear that the City Government of Zamboanga has religiously recognized the importance of children from the cross section of society. These include in-school youth, out-of-school youth, children at risk, children in conflict with the law, child abuse, children with disabilities, and our center-based and street children. We listen to there diverse voices and it excites me to hear of their dreams and aspirations for their fellow young people during our dialogue and consultation with them together with ADZU and UNICEF. Ya dale canamon sabe el maga bata cay si dale canila el opportunidad para sinta como el Alcalde del Ciudad, manada sila maga buen plano y programa para na maga bata.

I attended the CFCI Inspire Awards this year in Germany wherein our project - Break the Silence: End Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of the City of Zamboanga was shortlisted and was included as one of the finalists under the Child-friendly Governance Category out of 227 entries from 36 countries all over the world.

After we have produced almost 4,000 OSY graduates with skills from the Mindanao Youth for De-

NEWS

REPORTING TRUTH WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

velopment Program, the Zamboanga City Youth Development Alliance was given an Achiever Award by USAID and EDC for its accomplishments for the past five years. We continue our partnership with USAID through YouthWorks and with the United States Peace Corps through its Padayon Mindanao program which has provided our PYAP youth leaders exposure to various leadership trainings and activities to increase their understanding of civic engagement and strengthened linkages.

Our partnership with the Rotary Club of Zamboanga for the Youth Activities Week also continued for three straight years which has assigned key government posts to dozens of young leaders from various high schools to have leadership exposure and community involvement including the conduct of the 1st Regional Youth Ideation Camp to redesign Zamboanga Peninsula through innovative ideas from young people themselves across the region.

We also facilitated the creation of the LGBT Federation of Zamboanga and is now active in community organizing, providing sessions on SOGIE, HIV testing and provision of paralegal support together with our Gender and Development Unit which also ensures gender equality and advocates for women empowerment through many training sessions which are all essential in making Zamboanga City a gender-sensitive city where men, women and the LGBT are respected, empowered and enjoying equal rights.

We also utilized the budget to deliver better health services for 2019. We calibrated our efforts on health governance by strengthening the Local Health Board and expanding its membership to include non-government organizations, community based organizations and the religious sector.

Participation of the private health sector has also been enjoined especially in the implementation of public health programs like our fight kontra Dengue and the “Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio.”

With confirmed cases of Polio in the country, a Mindanao-wide polio immunization was instituted. For Zamboanga City, our total eligible target population from 0 – 59 months is 102,890 children but our actual coverage is at 103% or 105,369 children under 5 years old who were given the vaccination.

This was achieved thru the participation and support of the LGU, government and private hospitals, medical organizations like the Philippine Medical Association & Philippine Pediatric Society, civic organizations like the Rotary Club International and fraternity groups like the Tau Gamma Phi. It is also because of organizations just like them that we were presented by the Department of Health with the Gold Award in recognition of our implementation of the National Voluntary Blood Services Program.

CSO participation was also integral in the implementation of our Community Based Monitoring System or CBMS through the efforts of ZABIDA and the Federation of Civil Society Organizations. The CBMS provided us with good information base for tracking the impacts of macroeconomic reforms and various policy shocks and assist us in planning, program formulation, policy impact and poverty monitoring. During the CBMS National Conference, we were awarded 1st Place in the Best Advocacy Video Category and 3rd Place in the Best Picture Category!

Meanwhile, as part of the City Health Leadership Program of the Zuellig Family Foundation, top health concerns on TB Case Notification, Teenage Pregnancy and Sanitation were also given attention; the Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee has been instigated and Certificate of Potability from establishments has been strictly applied.

Inspection of Industrial Establishments (canning, bottling, ice plant) and issuance of sanitary permit and health certificates have also been given attention to maintain and improve sanitation in these establishments. Measures have been taken to be able to issue Sanitation Standard Rating Sticker (SSRS) in the near future to achieve standard sanitation condition.

We also promote zero open defecation by distributing 310 water closets to barangays Campo Islam, Tulungatung and Manicahan.

Our fight against rabies continues together with the City Veterinarian’s Office vaccinating 21,000 dogs and cats and creating Barangay Rabies Committees and animal catchers in 2019.

The Veterinary Regulatory Services Division is mandated to ensure food safety and to take charge in the monitoring of all accredited and locally registered meat establishments operating within the City. We created the Zamboanga

City Task Force Karne together with the Food and Drugs Authority to conduct strike operations in various supermarkets and barter trade stalls to ensure that the national ban on the importation, distribution and sale of all processed pork products from countries infected with the African Swine Fever virus are strictly enforced.

El fondo del govierno ta ayuda tambien asegura que tiene kita ambos supply de comida na diatun maga mesa.

We supported efforts on food security under animal production through trainings for our livestock farmers, animal dispersals and our artificial insemination program. Our City Abbatoir with its progressive operation and “Class AA” accreditation safeguards the general welfare of the meat consuming public and shall endeavour for the development of the meat industry.

Our main public market and the Sta. Cruz and Bagsakan complex continue to cater the City with the basic supply of goods and services and is undergoing rehabilitation and intensive cleaning operations. We ask the public to help maintain orderliness and cleanliness in our economic enterprises.

We further supported the agri-fishery sector by pouring in P40 Million Pesos worth of modernization fund through the City Agriculturist Office which was able to provide rice seeds to farmers, organic fertilizer to rice, corn and vegetable farmers, livelihood interventions, including farm tools and supplies.

Calamity assistance was also given to affected farmers when we were hit by the dry spell as the City Agriculturist formulated an enhanced El Nino Contingency Plan for the City.

We further explore other viable agri ventures such as our introduction of advance farming technology to Lapaz highland farmers on strawberry, researches on Mudcrab Culture in Aquasilviculture and Participatory Varietal Selection for Rice that are drought and saline resistant and the endorsement of Seaweed Production and Marketing Enterprise project for the Mampang Seaweed Planters Association.

We also created a City Fall Armyworm (FAW) task force through Executive Order No. BC-511-and formulated a FAW contingency Plan that was submitted to ZCDRRMO for possible funding. The FAW Task Force conducted information caravan in the six (6) Agricultural Districts in collaboration with the DA, RCPC, BPI and PCIC to educate farmers by building awareness on the danger of the pest, its identification, ecology, life cycle and management approaches.

Our interventions on agriculture yielded awards for 2019 during the Regional Gawad Saka: Mark Christopher Basalludin of Bolong was bestowed Gawad Saka Outstanding Corn Farmer, Gerald Galvez of Culianan awarded Out-

Court... (from Page 1) The second round for ‘Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio’ for children less than 5 years old, regardless of immunization status, using monovalent oral polio vaccine (mOPV) that started Monday, January 20 until February 2 in Zamboanga City and the other parts of Region 9. The City Health Office and the Department of Health are closely collaborating for the conduct of the 2-week activity that will be done through house to house visits, fixed stations and special vaccination sessions to cover each and every eligible child in all barangays in the city.

DENR 9 Regional Executive Director Crisanta Marlene P. Rodriguez lauded the efforts of the CENR Officer of Liloy and the MIPLS Protected Area Superintendent in effectively enforcing the E-NIPAS Act in MIPLS with the apprehension and conviction of the illegal fishers.

Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, during the DENR New Year’s Call in Central Office last Janu-

Fishermen’s catch shown following the apprehension of the illegal fishers taken on October 30, 2019 at around 12:30 AM. DENRPAO9 ary 3, has ordered the Biodiversity Management Bureau [and the

05

standing Gawad Saka Young Farmer, Eugenio Family of Tolosa was conferred Outstanding Farm Family Award We also produced winners during the 2019 Regional Quality Corn Achievers Award: Outstanding Regional Achievers Award for Medardo Lozada, Sean Janubas, Richard Manlincon, Jaime Troyo and Danilo Cajes, Outstanding Regional LGU for the City of Zamboanga, Oustanding Regional Banner Coordinator of Corn for Teodulo A. Adora and Outstanding Regional City Agriculturist – for Maam Carmencita C. Sanchez.

Meanwhile, the Villar Sipag Award also honored Quiniput 4H Club which emerged as Most Outstanding Youth Social Enterprise in the country receiving Php150,000 cash prize to help their projects and initiatives on poverty alleviation.

Enhorabuena con todo ganadores!

The City Agriculturist also partnered with the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology and the City Tourism Office for a 15-day diving activity for coastal and underwater assessment of the Onće Islas. The CRMP is necessary for the development of the islands as the city’s world-class eco-cultural tourism destination.

As we have sign the the Co-Management Agreement of the Once Islas together with DENR and the tribal community in 2019, we will be able to envision our tourism efforts to be more sustainable, and would enable the local communities to benefit from the economic activities that these will generate in the coming years.

Our support to tourism programs has also helped maintained our operations at the Great Sta. Cruz Islands which is still the most visited gem of the City. We continue to experience a spike in visitors but we still strictly enforce regulations to make sure it remains a paradise – being a nesting ground for marine turtles, the abundance of upside down jellyfish and flying foxes thriving in its mangrove forests.

We pause to remember the three hardworking members of the Zamboanga City Protected Area Management Office: Badzair Attan, Mudzmar Habing, and Ibrahim Hassan, and their boatman Rasbi Ambiting. All four are residents of Sta. Cruz Island. Your dedication to your work in protecting the island will remain in our hearts and memories forever.

We will continue to welcome guests to our islands as our tourism industry remains vibrant. We have recorded an increase in tourist arrivals this 2019 with 452, 585 guests, including a continuous spike in the number of seminars, conferences and conventions held in Zamboanga that counts to more than a thousand.

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field implementers nationwide] to hit the ground running in the implementation of the E-NIPAS Act. It can be recalled that the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the E-NIPAS Act was signed by the DENR Secretary in May 2019.

Covering a total area of 100.40 hectares, MIPLS is composed of two islands, Bayangan and Baliudyong, and is surrounded by about 250 hectares of coral reefs in fair to good condition. (DENRPAO9)

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NEWS

State... (from Page 5) We have an influx of almost a million passengers via our Integrated Bus Terminal raking in an income of P21 Million this 2019.

We also welcomed more than half a million or 536,777 guests via the Zamboanga International Airport in 2019 with Platinum Skies opening their service last year. Philippine Airlines will also open flights to Cebu and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia in the coming months. Flying soon in Zamboanga is Air Asia that will provide more options for locals and tourists alike!

Our celebrations as well of festivals and events in Zamboanga starting off with Dia de Zamboanga, the colourful Summer Festival, the vibrant Zamboanga Hermosa Festival and the heartwarming celebration of Pascua na Zamboanga have proven that indeed mas mucho maga visita y turista na Ciudad cay mas alegre gayod ahora na Zamboanga!

Muchas gracias to the City Events Team and to the General Services Office for the flawless execution of our Mexican-Filipino fiesta themed Christmas celebration!

Our celebrations reflect our diverse culture and our efforts to help engage our people and preserve our rich history and cultural heritage. We further amplify these efforts with the instructional materials we developed in 2019 together with DepEd that were distributed to public and private schools in the City: Aprende Kita Chavacano, Libro de Gramatica de Zamboanga Chavacano, Chavacano Lexicography, Historia de Zamboanga Maga Lectura, Lecciones y Actividades, Riquezas Chavacano Essays and Studies, Maga Cuento, Poema, Ensayo y Fabula na Chavacano, including and the Cesar Climaco comic series.

There is no doubt that these publications will enrich the existing literature on local history and culture and will help preserve and promote Chavacano, a language that is unique and integral to our identity as Zamboanguenos – un tesoro que solamente diatun!

We acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Jose Genaro Yap-Aizon on these publications and in transforming the Ayala and Vitali Technical Vocational Schools into a Local City College – the Colegio de la Ciudad de Zamboanga! With inputs from the City Legal Office, the CHRMO, and the City Council, we passed Ordinance No. 515 revising the charter of the Colegio de la Ciudad de Zamboanga and Ordinance No. 518 further amending certain provisions to allow the school to offer four year courses and provide general comprehensive and polytechnic education, research and innovation, and conduct community extension services. This concept is anchored on the idea that education is crucial in the city’s economic growth. Go CCZ Blue Huskies!

In 2019, we granted the wish of a SPED student, Jellyn Casillan for

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REPORTING TRUTH WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

a television unit in her classroom at Sta.Maria SPED Center. What she did not realized is that her simple request will result to additional 16 units of brand new 43-inch Samsung Full HD TV for her school and 700 other units to be distributed to other schools across the City!

We also utilized our special education fund to support the home and away games for division and regional athletic meets of the Department of Education. Our elementary, secondary and special Paralympic athletes were declared overall winner during the recently concluded Regional Meet. Enhorabuena!

Under the Sports Division, we continue to host various sporting events and implement sports programs for our young people and once again, our athletes made waves in various national and international competitions!

We recognize the indomitable spirit of our Zamboangueno athletes for winning big for the country in the recently concluded 30th South East Asian Games!

Chezka Luy Centeno – 2 golds and 1 silver medal for Billiard Hidilyn Diaz – gold medal for weightlifting Kristel Macrohon – gold medal for weightlifting Jonash Ponce – gold medal for baseball Noel Damian Jr. – gold medal for tennis Clemente Tabugara Jr. – gold medal for wushu Eumir Felix Marcial – gold medal for boxing Margarito Angana – silver medal for wrestling Joseph Angana – silver medal for wrestling Jhonny Morte – silver medal for wrestling Ryan Jakiri – silver medal for muay thai Margaret Colonia – silver medal for weightlifting Sharief Afif – bronze medal for karatedo Lloyd Dennis Catipon – bronze medal for Judo Kurash Nestor Colonia – bronze medal for weightlifting Mary Flor Diaz – bronze medal for weightlifting Enhorabuena con ustedes todo!

Your record-breaking performances during the 2019 SEA Games brought honor and pride to the City and you all deserve the accolades and the additional cash incentives from the City Government of Zamboanga for your hardwork, discipline, and the enduring spirit to win! Indeed, we win as one!

There are many stories of triumph this 2019 and these victories belong to everyone gathered here today and to everyone watching or listening in their homes all over the City. Todo kita ay comparti con este maga victoria!

This 2020, we will roll out an even bigger budget making another history in the City of Zamboanga: P4.266 Billion! Querido compoblanos, this time, we must think big and dream even bigger for Zambo-

HOTLINES: ZCPO Operations (24/7) 09778558138 911 (24/7) 992-3187/992-3179/991-3164 JTFZ Operations (24/7) 09177102326/ 957-39

anga!

Faithful to our purpose of improving the well-being and social needs of our constituents, we have allocated a sizeable bulk of this year’s budget under the social services sector. This sector takes the lead this year with its 43% fractional share. The overall standing of this sector in this year’s total allocation clearly manifests our unceasing efforts to promote Security, Health and Education above all else - these have always been the battle cry of this administration since day one.

We allocated P100 Million for our Largo Vida Program for senior citizens for their daily maintenance medicines, P26 Million for their birthday cash incentives and P6 Million for their free cinema.

This year, for the very first time, 500 Persons with Disabilities will soon have their cash incentives from the City Government by virtue of City Ordinance No. 505 with the approved amount of One Thousand Pesos each amounting to a total of P5 Million for them to enjoy yearly.

We will also construct Zamboanga’s very own Balay Silangan in Pasonanca in the amount of P10 Million as an in-house reformation center for drug offenders and a new building for the expansion of our Mendicants Center in Culianan at P5 Million.

We will also complete the ongoing climate-change resilient school buildings at Don Gregorio Evangelista Memorial School in Sta. Catalina, Arena Blanco West Elementary School, Calabasa Elementary School, Landang Gua Elementary School, Upper Pasonanca Elementary School, Sinubong National High School, Mercedes Central School, Vitali Central School, Boalan Elementary School, Cristino M Paragas Memorial Elementary School in Quiniput, Baluno Elementary School, Canelar Elementary School, Lunzuran Elementary School, Pasobolong Elementary School, Sinubong Elementary School, Rio Hondo Elementary School and at Zamboanga City High School Main all amounting to P306 Million!

Adding up to the number is an P80 Million worth of school building at the Colegio de la Ciudad de Zamboanga plus we will hire additional teachers, personnel and staff to expand the operation and programs of our new Local City College.

Further rehabilitation and improvement of the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex at P30 Million and at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum at P40 Million are also underway this 2020 to include rehabilitation and improvement of the main public market and Sta. Cruz Commercial Complex all at P8.7 Million.

We will put up resettlement and evacuation centers in the amount of P150 Million and will continue to fund the site development of the DRRM Building with Command Center in Cabatangan at P30 Million which will eventually serve as

the command, control and coordination unit on all emergency responses in the city.

We will finance P133 Million for flood control projects and P173 Million for road network projects this 2020 to help ease traffic and spread growth in new areas. We will also construct a new Parking Building at P50 Million this year!

We will invest P20 Million for hospitals and health centers and another P20 Million for new barangay halls and fire stations.

The construction of the water impounding dam which we promised during the campaign will also see green light this year as we have allocated P60 Million to jumpstart the project. Solar streetlights will also be installed this year at the east and west coast of the City amounting to P100 Million.

We are also rehabilitating our existing parks and we are establishing open green spaces across the City. The General Services Office together with the City Engineer’s Office are jointly working with the Department of Budget and Management on the Green, Green, Green Program by developing Zamboanga City’s waterfront and heritage walk with an approved budget of P74 Million. There is an urgent need for us to invest and encourage more green open spaces because of rapid urbanization such as the development of the Center Islands at R.T. Lim Boulevard amounting to P16 Million.

We are also completing the P26.9 Million worth of covered sheds at the City proper that will provide shade to the walking and riding public against all types of weather and a place to take some rest. We will pour in an additional P15 Million for the rehabilitation and improvement of our sidewalks at the Central Business District too.

The new Paseo Del Mar will open summer of 2020 with a new open stage, skate park and children’s park all in the amount of P46.5 Million revitalizing it not just as a family destination but also as a recreational and tourism magnet too for everyone to enjoy.

The iconic Pasonanca Convention Center will also have a major facelift this year in the amount of P20 Million. Sta. Cruz Island will continue to draw tourists soon as we commence the construction of a Board Walk for its Mangrove Tour and Forest Tour plus a Viewing Deck, Floating Stage and an upgraded gazebo all in the amount of P20.3 Million.

The Zamboanga Siege displaced more than 25,000 families and now the long road to recovery and rehabilitation will finally be put to a close this year as the remaining 77 families in transitory sites will be relocated soon in permanent houses in Valle Vista Phase 4 and Omar Property. That part of our history will now be over and we journey forward teeming with hope, grateful that the bayanihan spirit among Zamboanguenos to help each other is alive and well. But we will always

remember the lessons of the siege and our fight for justice remains firm more than ever. The City Government of Zamboanga through the City Legal Office will continue to pursue our cases against Nur Misuari and the MNLF rebels who attacked and destroyed our City in 2013!

The City Government recognizes the importance of a Local Shelter Plan. Once approved by the Sanggunian Panglungsod, the LSP will be our roadmap for a more focused and well-targeted action plan for the shelter sector. From 2020 to 2028, the newly completed LSP points out the need of 33,532 new housing units to address the housing backlog and population growth.

Of this total number, 49% of the housing units will be for the poor and low income households and for families below income bracket, a rent-free housing facility awaits them in the near future. Our land banking efforts in Talisayan and Labuan are already concrete steps to address the shortage and we will do more para todo familia Zamboangueno ay comparti y sinti el victoria!

The proposed new Zamboanga International Airport is also gaining grounds as the City Government awaits for the downloading of the first tranche of P200 Million for the acquisition of lot for the new airport project. The LGU and the Department of Transportation signed a MOA last year for the acquisition of lot, procurement of services for appraisal, survey works, transfer of titles and other documentary requirements. Our Public Private Partnership Center has also evaluated two unsolicited proposals for the City of Zamboanga – Megawide Corporation’s intent to handle and fund the Airport Transfer and Manila Water’s proposal for a waste to fuel project. The City Administrator’s Office has directed the local selection committee to fast track the process.

With the adoption of the 20162025 Comprehensive Land Use Plan and the 2018 Revised Zoning Ordinance, we can really dream big for Zamboanga City and transform it into a world-class metropolitan city with new growth areas.

We are just getting started and the possibilities and unlimited potential of the City of Zamboanga excites us to plan and to continuously work hard so that an amazing quality of life will be within reach for every Zamboangueno family as we enter a new decade.

We made astonishing strides in 2019 and we will continue to make historic breakthroughs this 2020.

Our City is now vibrant more than ever and our economy is thriving – a boom that has rarely been seen before. Now is the time to transcend beyond our differences and unite, because when we are all together, we win as one! We share one heart, one home, one victory and one glorious destiny for a better and brighter Zamboanga City! Muchas gracias y Vaya con Dios!