State of the City Address (SOCA 2013):

The 1st 100 days in office of City Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan

SSU Gymnasium, Catbalogan City, Samar
October 10, 2013

I consider my first 100 days as a powerful first step on the path to make this city progressive. This would be a measure of our leadership’s dynamism, efficiency and effectiveness. That within this time frame, i should have sealed my mode of leadership; establish rapport among partners, and have a bottom-line impact. This is a challenging moment, giving more emphasis on the importance of getting clear on the vision that we want to fulfil – as inscribed on my social contract with my stakeholders – my boss the Catbaloganon. This is the time where I take concrete actions to make a difference.

[Honourable mentions]

Allow me to look back to my election campaign experience, it was more painful than i thought. But months has passed, I realised that it is easier to see something positive in a negative experience long after it happens. Those pains carved into my being had evolved into growth. And those verbal arrows thrown on me had transformed into meaningful challenges...that I am still too young, I do not have enough experience; that I cannot be successful; that I have no screaming adjective attached to my name to rightfully lead this City known to be the hotbed of intellectuals.

This is the state of our beloved city:

We are enjoying a very impressive Commission on Audit finding with a clean and fair presentation of financial statement for 2012, Catbalogan la an mayda sugad nga audit report nga natikang han Commission on Audit, ha mga LGUs ha bug-os nga Samar. Karuyag sidngon, pag-abot han transparency ngan accountability, compliant an aton siyudad. Angay naton iparayaw an ipinion nga ginhatag han COA kay nasunod kita han accounting and auditing rules and regulations. Zero disallowance for 2012, ngan tungod hine nga impressive opinion, nakapasa kita han seal of good housekeeping.

Ine nga honor in nakab-utan ha panahon han liderato han akon amay, hi anay Mayor nga yana 1st Councilor Coefredo T. Uy, kasugbong an mga department heads nga mga empleyado han City Hall. tagan naton hin mapaso nga palakpakan.

The challenge is to sustain and level up the seal of good housekeeping.

In July this year, I signed a social contract emphasizing on the LGU’s programs imbibed with the fullness of the well-being of our constituency.

Tikang ha serbisyo panlawas nga nangunguna nga panginahanglan, salit nagbutang kita han mga pamaagi para hin mas accessible nga health services. 24 oras na yana an naihahatag naton nga serbisyo han mga manganganak nga mga nanay ha birthing facility ha health center. Adlaw-adlaw na gihapon yana nga pwede mangunsulta ha aton City Health Unit.

25 nga mga household ha 11 nga mga barangay an nakatagamtam hin sanitary toilet facility. Ine an masunod: barangay iguid, darahuway dako, san roque, payao, pangdan, cagutsan sierra, Socorro, pupua, barangay 6 poblacion, old mahayag ngan sierra rama.

Nagkamay-ada liwat kita han People’s Caravan, kun diin naghatag kita han libreng serbisyo medical ug dental ngan personal nga pagbisita ha aton mga Persons with Disabilities ngan Senior Citizens.

Padayon liwat an aton paghatag hin duon han pagpaursa han turismo, pinaagi han pag-ayad han mga mekanismo nga magsusuporta han mga ginkikinahanglan nga polisiya han aton ciudad, kay natuod kita nga ine in magreresulta hin buhi o marisyo nga ekonomiya. Usa na dinhi an Samar Tourism Loop kun diin upod an mga bungto han Calbiga ngan Daram, nashowcase gihap an aton mga mag-upay nga mga lugar ha Philippine International Eco-Show ha MOA SMX ngan ha Chiba, Japan.

Gintutup-ngan liwat naton ine hin hilawig nga program ha edukasyon. Yana, gintitindog na an I-Library para masuportahan an panginahanglan han mga estudyante nga maka-access han advanced technology ha ira research, libre ine nga magagamit han aton mga estudyante. The I-Library facility will also serve as a youth center equipped with IEC materials that will enhance the personality, growth and leadership skills of our youth.

Aside from this, we have also granted counterparts for the establishment of 10 e-classrooms in the barangays of Estaka Buri, New Mahayag, San Roque, Rama ngan Iguid.

Aton liwat ginkakalipay nga an syudad in recipient han Early Childhood Care and Development Center ha kantidad nga 2.3 million pesos. Dako ine nga bulig para han aton programa ha mga kabataan.

18 nga daycare centers an igintitindog na yana ha masunod nga mga barangays: manguehay, san Andres, cabugawan, buluan, cagusipan, ibol, cagutian, cinco sierra, lagundi, cagudalo, darahuway guti, silanga, poblacion 3, palanyogon, lobo, bangon, Mercedes ngan Guinsorongan. Ini in magtutugon han paghatag hin maupay nga pundasyon ha edukasyon han aton kabataan.
Mas durudamo na liwat nga mga estudyante an na eskwela pinaagi han scholarship or educational assistance program, aadi an aton mga scholars ... kay kan Mayor Step Uy-Tan, para ha asenso han pamilya , edukasyon an solusyon.

Sapit han aton I-Library an magigin opisina han emergency response team, though ine nga emergency team in nagtikang han ira operations hadto pa han July 1 kahuman gud dayon han akon inaugural speech. An emergency response team hotline in 251 – 7777 ngan 543 – 8000.

Abierto an aton communication line ha publiko, an STEP Up Tekwa Cares ngan information desk hotline nga 251-7000. Our emergency response team have the communications facilities, equipments, proper training and vehicles parked nearby for immediate response. Ha pagkayana mayda kita 2 nga rescue cars ug 1 nga motorcycle. Dudugngan naton ine han 1 nga ambulance parha hit 24 oras nga pagresponde.

Aada liwat an akon dako nga suporta ha skills training ha magkadurudilain nga mga sector upod na hito dida an capital build-up o paghatag hiin puhunan nga business entrepreneurial trainings. Pira han mga beneficiaries ngan partners hine nga program in aanhi yana. Kaupon han aton City Agriculture Office an pira nga mga nakakatagamtam hine nga mga programa tikang ha sector hit pag-uma, purupanigsda, grupo han kababayin-an ngan iba pa.

Nakapaghatag liwat kita hin grant livelihood assistance ha Catbalogan Public Market Vendors’ Association.

Han akon inaugural message, gintagan ko duon an pag-establisar gud dayon han Step-Up Center ngan Information Desk upod an pagbutang hin Community Facilitators para gud mapaupay pa naton an pagbaton han mga panginahanglan han publiko han aton mga serbisyo. Yana ine in aada na ngan ine in tungod kay gusto naton nga umabat an Catbaloganon han ungnod nga pag-ugop naton ngan han pagbaton han ginkikinahanglan, tubtub ngada han aton makakaya.

An aton mga lolo nga lola, an mga senior citizens, mga persons with disabilities ngan women sector magkakamay-ada na lugar ha sulod han Gender and Developmet of GAD Center nga titindugon ha sulud hiton yana nga tuig.

Ha issue han flood control, nag-request kira hin 150 million pesos nga pundo ha DPWH for the Antiao Creek/River, an phase 1 may kantidad nga 75 million tapos na an bidding, next year, another 75 million an igrerelease salit an contractor hinaut pa unta ayuson an apgtrabaho hine, kay dako gud ine nga bulig han problema ha pagbaha ha pira nga lugar dinhe han aton siyudad.

Approved na liwat an akon ginlakad ha Bureau of Fisheries nga Philippine Ports Authority nga 25 million para pagconstruct han Catbalogan Fish Port ngan dugang nga 8 million para han pag-ayad han aton slaughterhouse tikang ha National Meat Inspection Service.

Ginlibot naton an mga barangay, para han pagpatuman han mga proyekto pareho han daycare centers, pathways, e-schools ngan han mga road projects ngan drainage system. Aanhi yana an aton mga barangay officials nga ginpangungunahan han ira mga kapitanes, an magsarig naton nga mga kaalyado para han pagpalusad hine nga mga proyekto ngan serbisyo ngada han mga molupyo.

Indeed, we are leaders, leaders are not born but made, the people made us leaders through elections, the people deserve nothing from us but only the best service we can give.

The gains that we have achieved in my first 100 days as the 1st City Lady Mayor are but small wins but as the famous saying goes, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” and coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success!”

Ine nga tanan in aton natuman tungod han bulig han aton mga department heads nga frontliners han pagsiguro nga ine nga mga programa in nakakadangat ha mga molupyo, nga han aton mga kasugbong dida Sangguniang Panlungsod ha pangunguna han aton maabtik, batan-on ngan gwapo nga Vice Mayor Art Gabon ngan han aton mga Konsehales.

An detalyado nga accomplishment report in ginbutang namon ha video presentation nga hikikit-an naton yana ngan ha mga tarpaulin ngan flyers para mas pa naton nga mahibaru-an ine ngatanan. Kay natuud an present nga administrasyon nga an usa nga maupay nga pan-gobyernuhan in may transparency and accountability.

But the hard work has just began. Catbalogan city is facing the big challenges for a comprehensive Solid Waste Management Program that needs an urgent implementation and the peace and security situation, among others. This is among the priorities of the administration. With this is my cal and appeal to everyone, especially those in the different agencies of our city government and the national government agencies and most especially to all of Catbaloganons. As leaders and constituents, let us collaboratively exert our efforts and maximize resources in addressing the solid waste and garbage problem of our city. Funding needed for this program is overwhelming! Worth millions of pesos, but with determination, perseverance and political will, comes a concrete result.

As I quote former US President George Bush: “use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people.”

Baby pa an aton syudad! We have a projected internal revenue allotment of 337 million pesos with a projected income of 70 million pesos. Bulk of the budget goes to social services, maintenance and other operating expenses. But the actual IRA for 2013 is 329 million, which is 8 million short compared to the projected amount.

This is in fact a meagre amount needed to fund the operational expenses and all the government’s support services to a more or less 100,000 Catbalogan City populace.

While the current peace and order situation in our city is something to be bothered about. The recent killing incident of two political personalities in a span of 4 days is alarming. Let us, by all means, protect out peaceful abode against threats of peace and security! As the City Mayor, I have written the PNP to beef up peace and security measures and in line with this, the PNP favourably granted our request for additional PNP personnel to be deployed in our City. The installation of additional CCTV cameras and streetlamps is ongoing and will be augmented by the traffic enforcers in coordination and monitoring among peace and security partners with PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other civic organizations. Let us not allow violence to rule over our beloved city.

Ine nga mga programa ngan mga buruhaton in makakaya naton pinaagi han pagburublig naton ngatanan. Salit ha sakob han shahan nga 100 days han akon paglingkod komo Mayor, nakigmeeting ako han magkadurudilain nga mga sector han aton syudad para hin hilawig nga kunsultasyon.

With anticipation and expectation that I cannot please everybody, comments will pour after this message and on this occasion, allow me to quote Dale Turner, “it is important to live each dday with a positive perspective. It is not wise to pretend problems do not exist, but it is wise to look beyond the problem to the possibilities that are in it.

Let us all remember that when Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought: he is so big, we can never beat him. But David looked at the same giant and thought, he is so big, I can’t miss him!

To all my detractors, whom I am hoping to become my friends in the immediate future, my sincerest and abundant thanks. You truly fuelled my passion to step up and have that extra dynamism on this energy-sapping position. And from this day onward, I am hoping that we will be holding hands together, walking and looking in the same direction.

To my allies, my friends, let us be unmindful of the intrigues, instead, focus. Relentlesly, sincerely perform to the best of our abilities our mandate and commitment to make a difference in our line of work. Let us continue to guarantee people’s participation, transparency, good governance and building alliances!

To our almighty God, thank you for giving me the strength, the wisdom and I will never stop praying to always have the heart and the wisdom to serve your people.

In this ship called Catbalogan City, I expect that no one is a passenger, naglalaum ako nga waray biskin usa nga pasahero, rather that everyone would be a crew. A passenger merely sits, waits and relaxes as it journeys to reach the destination. While a crew, works hard to reach the desired goal and destination. I am here as your humble captain, I will be steering this ship in charting the unchartered course. As we continue to navigate, the best discipline we have to equip ourselves with is consistency, accountability and values of true leadership in each and everyone of us.

I am Stephany Uy-Tan, your public servant, moving out of my comfort zone and ready to face the challenges beyond the 100 days into the completion of my term. Let us all be one in making Catbalogan City one of the premiere cities in the Philippines.