Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in his State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday, said his focus is on making the city sustainable by 2043 with programs, projects, and activities geared toward a better Baguio.

“Paulit-ulit kong sinasabi sa mga meeting (I always say during meetings), I, as the local chief executive, have to be indispensable but must persist (in) institutionalized programs and projects that are not associated with a political figure but are interwoven with the city’s DNA that will ensure sustainability,” Magalong said in his SOCA, which coincided with the 117th Baguio Charter Day anniversary.

He said the seven-point core agenda serves as a guide in decision-making, setting priorities, and investing the city’s resources toward a Baguio that is livable, inclusive, and creative.

“The three dimensions of our vision guide our transformation journey — creating a safe, resilient, healthy, and stable environment, which is the meaning of livability,” he said.

He mentioned programs on waste management, which have been eating the city’s resources at an average of PHP200 million to PHP250 million a year for hauling to the engineered sanitary landfill located in the Ilocos Region and Central Luzon, as well as the cost of disposing of garbage in the facility.

The Pansa-nopen Tayo program is a long-term solution that focuses on changing the people’s mindset that garbage is a valuable resource that can be reused, reduced, recycled, and repurposed and can be a source of livelihood and create jobs.

He also said that with the help of foreign organizations, the circular economy is being strengthened and is currently being piloted in six large barangays. A quarterly “sustainability fair” is also set, encouraging the public to bring their e-waste to avoid it being dumped irresponsibly.

The mayor also discussed the bulk water project which, based on a 2 million metric pound feasibility study, will address the city’s future water shortage.

He said the city government is also working on obtaining ISO 37001, which is the anti-bribery management system, and training youth to become leaders based on Resolution 695, series of 2026.

For its fiscal condition, Magalong said the city government is also on target in its collection of revenues to support the increasing budget of the local government for its programs, projects, and activities.

From a fiscal budget of PHP2.63 billion in 2019, the budget was raised to PHP3 billion in 2025 and PHP3.65 billion for 2026, with at least a 62 percent utilization rate as of August.

He also mentioned a system whereby the hiring of workers of the local government will not be based on the choice of the appointing authority, but on qualification and merit to prevent the employee from forever being indebted to the hiring authority.

The mayor said that creativity is fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, culture, and resolution that enables the city to continuously adapt, thrive, and transform as a whole. (PNA)