Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan delivered her first State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday, 11 July 2023, during a regular session of the 12th City Council.
Presiding Officer John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto, the city’s Vice Mayor, opened the session, followed by his own report of the Council’s accomplishments within the first year of its term.
In his own speech, Vice Mayor Nieto reported that out of 306 draft ordinances filed, 90 had been enacted, which included the following landmark pieces of legislation:
- Ordinance 8933 entitled, An Ordinance establishing a women and children crisis center for the victims/survivors of violence and abuse;
- Ordinance 8922 entitled An Ordinance promoting the Philippine Indigenous and Traditional Writing Systems; and
- Ordinance 8884 entitled, An Ordinance establishing Mental Health Program and Delivery System in the City of Manila.
In addition, the Council had approved 556 resolutions, out of 607 drafts filed by Councilors.
He then proceeded to introduce Mayor Lacuna-Pangan, who was warmly welcomed by the audience, as she made a grand entrance to the session hall to deliver her first SOCA.
Mayor Lacuna-Pangan, Manila’s first woman chief executive, enumerated some of the city government’s achievements since she assumed office, highlighting the benefits enjoyed by the city’s senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The city’s over 180,000 seniors were given monthly allowances, birthday cakes, food, and medical supplies, while 14,735 single parents and over 35,000 PWDs enjoyed similar monetary benefits.
Around 20,000 students from the city-owned Universidad de Manila and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila received a monthly allowance of ₱1,000 each, as more than 10,000 public elementary and high school students were provided with financial aid, school supplies, and uniforms, through the city’s educational assistance program.
Meanwhile, at least 3,000 Manileños, including seniors and PWDs, benefited from the city’s job placement programs, which it implemented through the Manila Public Employment Services Office.
The mayor also cited the multitudes that benefited from her flagship Kalinga sa Maynila (Pulong-Pulong sa Pagtulong) program, a twice-weekly forum held in various barangays, aimed at bringing basic services directly to the people.
A medical doctor by profession, Mayor Lacuna reported major improvements in the area of public health, with the inauguration of new healthcare facilities and the procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment now being utilized in different public hospitals.
She ended by thanking Vice Mayor Nieto, the six Congressmen from Manila, and the public for all their support, as she reminded everyone that “Dito sa Maynila, walang iniiwan, lahat kasama, lahat mahalaga.”
