ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Jun 22 (PIA) – Hundreds of different stakeholders both from the government and private sectors and Lamiteños have witnessed the First State of the City Report (SOCR) of Mayor Oric Furigay on Monday, June 19 as he addressed Lamiteños with a sense of fulfillment and hope.

Mayor Furigay presented several accomplishments from July 2022 to present as he bannered several awards and recognitions which he considered as a fulfilment that would also bring hope to see Lamitan City to progress.

"Fulfillment, because I feel that I have done justice to my mandate. Hope, because we can look forward to the future with optimism as we had laid down the groundwork that will catapult us to where we want to be," Mayor Furigay said in his report covering the period July 2022, when he assumed office, up to this date, as he vowed to continue striving for the betterment of Lamitan.

Furigay stressed that his administration had taken steps to raise the bar of performance in 2023.

"We strived to be a government of performance—doing what we promised and providing our constituents the best possible programs and services," the mayor stressed, adding that this year, his efforts were primarily geared towards social services, agro-industrial development, infrastructure and good governance.

Furthermore, Mayor Furigay said Lamitan City’s competitive spirit brought to the major accomplishments of his administration, foremost of which were the awards and recognition in infrastructure development with the completion of several road projects, which make it easier for Lamiteños to travel to and from neighboring areas.

Furigay stressed that the ongoing construction of metro-wide drainage system to address flooding is a significant stride towards mitigating the negative impact of disaster in the  city.

Moreover, Mayor Furigay also took pride in his administration’s achievement in the fields of social protection and sensitivity, sustainable education, business friendliness and peace development.

He said that Lamitan City under his leadership remains committed to promoting social protection and sensitivity, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized groups as he underscored social protection and sensitivity are key to achieving sustainable and equitable development and ensuring that no one is left behind.

Furigay added that Lamitan City also has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving health compliance and responsiveness.

In terms of education, Furigay's administration has continued to invest in the improvement of schools and the provision of scholarships to deserving students. He said that his administration had also partnered with several government and non-government agencies to provide skills training and job opportunities to our youth, ensuring that they have a brighter future ahead of them.

On peace and order, Furigay said that Lamitan City is considered peaceful which can be attributed to increased police visibility, highly professionalized police force and effective integration of police, CVOs, barangay peace action teams, force multipliers and volunteers in peace-keeping efforts. The continues efforts in the campaign against illegal drugs, rido settlements and Small Arms and Light Weapon (SALW) program also paved the way to more peaceful Lamitan City.

“We should once again work together to sustain our gains. We will continue to provide a government of competence, integrity and performance,” Furigay stressed emphasizing that all the accomplishments and ways forward are engines of growth and critical elements to shaping Lamitan City's bright future ahead. (RVC/NDR/PIA Basilan)