Quality health and social services in the City of Manila will be the top priority of mayoral candidate and current Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna should she get elected as the city’s next chief executive and the first woman in history of the city to hold the post.
In Manila Bulletin’s Hot Seat Forum, Lacuna said she will continue all the projects and programs of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso but with a different approach.
“Lahat po ng mga programs and projects po namin, lahat po ‘yun itutuloy, siguro (may) mga add-ons nalang po. Lalo na sa ating mga health services kasi ‘yun naman talaga ang forte ko. Siguro concentration on health services, paano mai-improve. Social services, medyo may soft spot po ako (All of our programs and projects, all of them will be continued, maybe there will be add-ons, especially in our health services because that is really my forte. Maybe,the concentration will be on health services, how to improve them. I also have a bit of soft spot on social services),” said Lacuna, who also worked as the director of the Manila Department of Social Welfare.
“As you all know, ‘yun pong ginagawa namin ni (what we were doing with) Mayor Isko is a partnership. It’s actually a 10-year plan for Manila nana-achieve ponamin (that we achieved) in two and a half years. Who could imagine na pwede naman pala (that we can do it). So it wouldn’t be any different talaga,” she said.
Like Domagoso, Lacuna said she will be very hands-on if given the chance to lead the city.
The vice mayor also said she will continue the infrastructure projects of the city government, particularly the vertical housing projects.
The City of Manila has seven housing projects, namely: Tondominum 1, Tondominium 2, Binondominium, Basecommunity, San Lazaro Residences, San Sebastian Residences, and Pedro Gil Residences.
Around 2,000 families, mostly informal settlers, were already given homes, Lacuna noted.
Lacuna also bared her plans to create halfway homes for the street dwellers in the city.
“Nakakakita pa po kami ng ibang lugar po dito sa Maynila na maaari pa po nating patayuan ng vertical housing, and halfway homes para sa ating mga street dwellers. Kung napapansin niyo po, lalo na sa gabi, napakarami pong natutulog sa kalsada. Pero pagka kinuha niyo po sila, mayroon naman silang nauuwian na tahanan. Dahil maliliit ang kanilang tinitirhan at hindi naman po magkakasya angpamilya nila pagdating ng gabi, mas ninanais nila na matulog nalang po kung saan saan (We can still see other places here in Manila where we can build vertical housing, and halfway homes for our street dwellers. If you notice, especially at night, there are a lot of people sleeping on the streets. But when you take them, they have a home to go to. Because they live in small places and their family can't fit in at night, they prefer to sleep somewhere else),” she explained.
“Dahil naman mayroon silang trabaho, gayapo ng mga construction workers natin, na ayaw naman po nilang lumayo sa lugar na kung saan po sila namamasukan, they would rather sleep on the streets (Because they have jobs, like our construction workers, who don't want to stay away from the place where they work, they would rather sleep on the streets),” she added.
Lacuna said she is already eyeing an area along Taft Avenue in Manila where she can build a halfway home.
“Pwede po silang tumuloy sa gabi, maligo, mabigyan ng hot meals, matulog, then pag umaga po mayroon naman silang trabaho, pwede na silang umalis (They can stay at night, take a bath, be given hot meals, sleep, then in the morning, if they have a job, they can leave),” she said.
The vice mayor added that she would also push for the construction of more facilities for Manila’s senior citizens.
“Being a woman and being mother, iba po talaga. Nakikita po lagi sa mga projects ko, as a vice mayor, ‘yung touch ko po talaga as a mother (it’s really different. I always see in my projects, as a vice mayor, there is really the touch of a mother),” she said.
Lacuna assured that being a woman will never become a hindrance in leading the nation’s capital.
“Of course, medyo kinakabahan tayo (I am a bit nervous), but I can honestly say I am prepared and I am ready to serve as the mayor of the City of Manila. Siguro ano nalang (Maybe), add-on nalang po yung pagiging first female in the 50 years of City of Manila,” she said.
Equal opportunity for women
Lacuna said she would push for a society where women are given equal opportunity.
“Equal opportunity po salahat (Equal opportunity for all). And I’m very fortunate that the mayor has given his 100 percent trust and support posa akin, na kaya ko na po pamunuan ang lungsod ng Maynila (to me, that I can now lead the city of Manila). We’ve come a long way, tayong kababaihan (us women),” said Lacuna, citing that majority of department heads in the city are women.
“We have really gone a long way. Hindi na po tayo kilala bilang mga nasa tahanan lamang, inaasikaso ang ating mga pamilya, o nagluluto, naglilinis. Marami pong na achieve ang mga kababaihan, lalo na po sa Manila (We have really gone a long way. We are no longer known as just plain housewives, taking care of our families, or cooking, cleaning. Women have achieved a lot, especially in Manila),” she said.
Lacuna also revealed drawing inspiration from her father, former Manila Vice Mayor Danny Lacuna, who was opposed to her entry into politics.
“My dad has always been my inspiration. I headed the medical missions of my dad... Every Saturday and Sundays, kami pong mag-asawa ang pinapa-head po niya sa kanyang medical missions. We go around. Dun ko po nakita ‘yung compassion po niya sa mga ordinaryong tao (Every Saturday and Sunday, he made my husband and I in charge of his medical missions. We go around. That is where I saw his compassion for ordinary people),” she said.
“Parang nakita ko, baka mas marami akong magagawa, marami akong matutulungan kung pumasok ako sa public service (I realized, maybe I could do more, I could help a lot if I enter public service),” she said.
Lacuña worked as a physician at the city health office. She also served as city councilor from 2004 to 2013.
Lacuna made history when she became the first female vice mayor of the nation's capital in 2016.
In 2019, she teamed up with Moreno to secure re-election as vice mayor.