CEBU CITY – The best is yet to come.
Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez said this as she enumerated the accomplishments of her administration during her State-of-the-City Address (SOCA) on Monday, October 14, at the Ormoc Superdome.
ORMOC City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez delivers her State-of-the-City Address on Monday, October 14, at the Ormoc Superdome. (Calvin D. Cordova)
From creating its own city college, various infrastructure projects to improving the peace and order situation, Mayor Gomez said her administration has done a lot in the past two years.
With the help of her constituents, she vowed to do more as she is seeking reelection in May.
“I love my job as a mayor,” she said before a huge crowd.
In her SOCA, Mayor Gomez boasted that the city will have a budget of P4.5 billion for next year, giving Ormoc’s development projects, including major infrastructure upgrades in 85 barangays, a huge boost.
She said P2.7 billion was approved by the council, which will be used in maintaining social services projects.
The 2025 budget was a 17.39 percent increase from last year’s P2.3-billion allocation.
The city will also receive a P1.8-billion budget from pledges of various senators and also funding from the budget of the office of her husband, Leyte fourth district Rep. Richard Gomez.
Rep. Gomez said her key priorities is the continued support for road and public works projects to enhance accessibility across the city and drive its economic growth.
The mayor said her administration aspires to ensure that development reaches even the most remote areas.
“We have expanded our city’s functional, serviceable, and valuable space," she said.
The mayor also vowed to strengthen health care services as Ormoc will soon have its own city-run hospital.
“This is being carefully planned because aside from the construction, it also needs a budget for operations. We want a hospital that will provide excellent services where no patient should be turned away,” she said.
On education, Mayor Gomez said a city college will soon be fully operational, which will offer free education at the tertiary level.
The school aims to offer programs related to marketing, office administration, social work, and public administration.