Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar's State of the City Address (SOCA) scheduled on Monday, January 24, was canceled due to soaring COVID-19 cases in Zamboanga City which affected several City Hall employees involved in preparations for the annual ceremony.
“Due to the unprecedented surge in the number of COVID19 cases in Zamboanga City and the infection of some personnel of the City Government who are directly involved in the preparations for the State of the City Address of the Mayor, we would like to inform the public that SOCA 2022 scheduled on Monday, January 24, will be postponed to a later date,” said a statement posted on the City Government of Zamboanga’s social media page.
The members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod led by Vice Mayor Rommel Agan have been notified of the SOCA’s cancellation at the Astoria Regency Hotel and Convention Center in Barangay Pasonanca.
The local government initially invited high ranking national and local government officials and representatives from various sectors, taking into consideration established health protocols under Alert Level 3.
The ceremony was also planned to be streamed live via official sites of the Zamboanga local government and Mayor Climaco.
Based on City Health Office (CHO) records, active COVID cases soared to 1,473 as of January 21 this year with 227 individuals infected in just one day.
Total number of COVID-19 cases in Zamboanga City has reached 24,385 with 21,792 recoveries and 1,120 mortalities.