The 8th State of the City Address (SOCA) of Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar was held and broadcasted live via official channels last January 26, 2021 at the City Council.
The said SOCA highlighted the response of the Local Government Units to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Mayor Beng, the LGU responded to the pandemic proactively by conducting a coordination meeting with the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, the health cluster, and other key offices and through early implementation of lockdowns. When the first case was discovered, the whole barangay of Sinunuc was put into total lockdown, and barangays were given the necessities for preparation. Also, in response to this, the LGU created its own Inter-Agency Task Force that covers four major task groups: Entry Point Quarantine, Contact Tracing, Treatment and Containment, and Risk Communication. The City government established and equipped its first quarantine facilities in Zamboanga City Medical Center and in Ateneo de Zamboanga University Lantaka Campus. Apart from this, Isolation Facility Buildings were also established. Partnering with 38 of the city’s local hotels, the City Tourism was able to assist 7,366 Locally Stranded Individuals and 1,323 Returning OFWs.
Mayor Beng also talked about the creation of the contact tracing application called “ComPASS” headed by the Office of City Planning and Development Officer in collaboration with AdZU and the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) which benefitted 116,518 families.
In her speech, the city mayor stated the long-term recovery plan of the Zamboanga City. This plan aims to provide a framework for the gradual reopening of the local economy. “We are also looking at providing reprieve to local businesses through tax incentives, condonation of rental fees, discount on property and business taxes, subsidies and subscription of hotel spaces,” the Mayor said. Investment and budget allocation for food and security will be increased accordingly along with support programs for the city’s tourism. The rehabilitation and recovery plan also emphasizes a broad range of socio-economic measures. Additionally, the Vaccination Program against COVID-19 was just recently established and that 410,000 doses of AstraZeneca will be made available for the 205,000 residents in the city.
“We will not stop doing our jobs and will continue to sincerely serve our city. To keep our people safe as we have always done before,” the Mayor vowed.
