Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap delivered her very first SOCA on Wednesday. She meant business and was so serious from the get-go.
While it is like the SOCA of other city leaders with glowing figures on education, health, social programs, it was also filled with both her personal commitments and administration’s policy directions. It was also powerful, sending strong messages on many facets like challenges to her mandate and legitimacy, her illustrious and proven career in public service, her commitment to good governance, her advancement of social welfare programs especially health and of course a call to action.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
1. Indisputable mandate
Right at the start of her speech, she drove the point that she is a legit Tarlac City resident. This, as her detractors and political opponents howled and protested (before the Courts), claiming that she was never a city girl.
Citing the Supreme Court’s 13-0 favorable decision last year, that should settle the issue once and for all. It was not only a message for her own good. It was a reaffirmation of protecting the electorate’s will as she fairly won the elections in 2025.
2. Experience
The Tarlac City folks have a chief executive whom they can be proud of. She brings to the table her experience as a former Governor of the province and as a former Congresswoman too. While she in no way tooted her horn, the message is clear – her constituency are far from being shortchanged given her vast experience both as a lawmaker and as an executive.
3. Health
Mayor Yap showed a long list of health and medical programs which reminds people of how neighbor Pampanga province is implementing no non-sense programs that include hospitalization, dreaded diseases, child and maternal care and the like. Governor Lilia Pineda will never be outrun and outscored on this undertaking. That is why she is called “Nanay’ not just by the Pampanguenos but by everyone who knows of the care she extends.
But Mayor Susan is not far behind. This is perhaps an application of her own remark “we always look up to Pampanga”. She cannot help but also show her being a “Nanay”
With a professed Philosophy “healthcare is an investment; accessibility is the core metric”, she has decentralized medicine distribution to health centers with DOH-compliant manner of dispensing. No longer that Tarlac City residents need to troop to the City Hall once, twice or even thrice a month for their maintenance medicines and other drug needs. The meds are now flowing in their respective localities via health and Yakap centers of Philhealth.
4. Accountability
At this time of making government leaders face the music (even if the tune was discordant), the Yap Administration is also bent on weeding out malfeasance in the City Hall
She has spoken about the issue of 101 vehicles questionably purchased between 2017–2025 or before she assumed mayorship. Despite committee hearings in the City Council and the promise of the supplier to get the ownership issue settled, the matter is still pending, she said.
“Accountabity and responsibiljty is what we demand and deserve’ said the Mayor.”
5. ‘Tarlac City is my home too’
This line is powerful. It should echo through the many halls of governance in the city – the Mayor’s Office, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the various departments and also down to the barangay halls.
With her being a legit city girl, her administration can now move forward, fast. While the Vice Mayor and some members of the City Council may not totally support her as they come from other side of the fence, it is time for them to get their act together.
Mayor Susan is unquestionably is the city’s leader. Unquestionably too, she definitely wants to make her own home prosper. Tarlac City folks should let her do that.
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