As the City of Manila marks today its 453rd founding anniversary, Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pañgan’s administration continues to focus on improving the quality of life of some 1.9 million residents in a city where population density poses daunting challenges. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2020 data, Manila registered 73,920 persons per square kilometer with its land area of 24.98 square kilometers.
Providing social safety nets has topped the city government’s agenda for the past two years. Under the Kalinga sa Maynila program, it is envisioned that every citizen shall have access to basic services such as nutrition, education and health care. Mayor Lacuna gave a progress report in her first State of the City Address delivered after the observance of Araw ng Maynila last year.
Hundreds of millions of monthly allowances were distributed to 14,735 single parents and 35,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs). Over 180,000 senior citizens in the city continue to receive their monthly allowances, birthday cakes, food, and medical supplies from the city government. Most importantly, the program aims to reach out to all communities in the city through weekly or twice-a-week fora in different barangays.
Public education has also been prioritized in terms of financial assistance to more than 4,000 elementary and junior high school students; 6,000 senior high school students; and more than 20,000 students in both the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and the Unibersidad de Manila.
Through the Manila- Public Employment Services Office's (PESO) monthly job fairs, at least 3,000 Manileño’s, including senior citizens and PWDs, were also given job opportunities. Additionally, over ₱3 million worth of livelihood assistance was also distributed to thousands of small business owners in the city through Kalinga sa Maynila and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged (TUPAD) programs.
At the World Travel Awards held in December last year, the City of Manila was recognized as the World’s Leading City Destination for 2023, an unprecedented achievement that placed the country’s capital city in the forefront of global tourism awareness and recognition. The Pasig River esplanade project of the national government in the vicinity of the Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio has enhanced the capital city’s profile.
Last January, the National Privacy Commission commended the City of Manila for obtaining the certification of recognition and Seal of Registration following its satisfactory compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2023. This recognition demonstrates that the data processed by the city, both digital and analog, are protected and secured.
The biggest area of improvement is peace and order. According to Statista, Manila’s crime index score of 64.4 in 2022 is regarded as a high level. Crime prevention and ensuring peace and order is a shared responsibility among the city government, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the barangays and the citizens.
With 897 barangays, the city of Manila accounts for about half of all the barangays in Metro Manila. This implies that barangays in Manila cover a relatively small area. Arguably, however, these are densely populated communities where the demands on public safety and community welfare are greater in scope and depth.
We share the aspirations of the people of the City of Manila, led by Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pañgan, in making the country’s capital city truly a preferred destination for all seasons.