• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez is expected to present his administration’s achievements, ongoing projects, and future plans for Bacolod in his second State of the City Address (SOCA) this afternoon, July 3, at the Bacolod Government Center.
Benitez will likely enumerate accomplishments on his continuing push for a transparent and business-friendly governance, and in steering Bacolod to becoming a supercity, the flagship Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP), and the Yuhum Residences housing program, among others.
Others include the restructuring of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) into a full-fledged department, as per an ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod last month, and updates on the construction of the legislative building.
Benitez, in his first SOCA in July 2023, urged the SP to reconstitute the BTAO into a city department “with bigger staff and bigger budget to address our growing problem on traffic,” as he noted that the magnitude of this problem “requires expertise, not only in operations but also planning”.
Other issues and projects raised in the first SOCA included the ease-of-doing-business, cashless payments, infrastructure and public-private partnerships, green development, waste management, peace and order and traffic management, social welfare, community-based monitoring system, education and employment, tourism and other engines of growth, investor confidence, investment promotion and business support.
Benitez had said that “the state of the City is strong – and it will be stronger. The best of Bacolod is yet to come. The road to change is not without obstruction, resistance, or challenges. But we remain steadfast in our commitment to change our behavior and our culture of governance in Bacolod”.
The mayor might also discuss his vision for Bacolod under the Negros Island Region setup. | CGC
