San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora delivered his third State of the City Address (SOCA) on Friday, Dec. 17, reporting on the various achievements and programs of the city on COVID-19 response and public service.

Zamora enumerated the city’s pandemic response and interventions to curb the cases of COVID-19 in the city such as providing living quarters to frontliners, targeted mass testing, P3,000 quarantine financial assistance to COVID-positive individuals, effective and efficient granular lockdowns, house-to-house on the ground information registration, swift vaccination process, quarantine facilities, executive orders to increase vaccination rate, and reopen the local economy, among others.

San Juan's milestones were also recognized for being the first city to fully vaccinate 111.47 percent of its constituents, surpassing the 70 percent target population set by the Department Of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), bike programs that were lauded by different bike communities biking-related awards as such as being named the bike-friendliest city in Metro Manila, and the recognition given to the local government by award-giving bodies such as the Deparrment of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Digital Awards for the city’s digital education program amid the pandemic, Galing Pook Awards for best pandemic response, and the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) awards for the city’s efficiency in tax collection in the National Capital Region wherein San Juan is number one among Metro Manila cities, and number three nationwide.

He also discussed the LGU’s other achievements such as the city’s efficient vaccination program that was recognized in President Rodrigo Duterte’s final State Of the Nation Address (SONA), San Juan’s 18 waves of relief goods distribution, the highest number of ayuda distribution by any local government unit in the country, and the construction of schools, public housing, barangay wooden covered basketball courts, and other infrastructures that are currently underway.

In his presentation, testimonials from those who benefited from the city’s social services, health, and financial assistance were shown. Zamora also congratulated the barangays who did their duties and performed above, over, and beyond for the benefit of their constituents, including the 18 drug-cleared barangays.

The mayor also looked back on his 10-point program for Makabagong San Juan which he presented when he ran for mayor in 2019. These are public housing, health, education, livelihood, infrastructures, smart city, peace and order, environment, family, and clean governance.

He also thanked the national government, city and barangay officials and employees, department heads, and all San Juanenos for their support for his administration.

“Sa mga darating na buwan, mas pagtutuunan pa natin ng pansin ang public health. Ang hangad ko ay hindi man maibalik sa kasing-normal ng dati, makabalik tayo sa pinaka-normal: bukas ang mga negosyo, eskwelahan. COVID is still here, and as a mayor, public health and economy pa rin ang bibigyan natin ng focus (In the coming months, we'll focus more on public health. All I wish is that even if we may not totally return to normal like before, we can be as close as it was before the pandemic began: Businesses and schools are open. COVID is still here, and as the mayor, public health and economy will be our primary focus)," Zamora said.