The mayor of the San Remigio municipality pledged to strengthen the local government unit’s (LGU) programs on social services, healthcare, and education as he serves his third and last term.
Margarito Mission Jr., in his inaugural speech after his oathtaking before Barangay San Rafael Punong Barangay Nover Gillegao on Tuesday, said that the local government would continue to support senior citizens and other marginalized sectors in the municipality.
Mission was conferred the Outstanding Local Chief Executive Award for the 1st to 3rd Class Municipality category in the Visayas by the Association of Local Social Welfare and Development Officers of the Philippines, Inc. (ALSWDOPI) during the Gawad Parangal on May 1.
“During my previous terms, our LGU had been releasing PHP20,000 each for those senior citizens who celebrated their 100th birthday, but this year we will increase it to PHP50,000 each,” he said.
He also said that next year, the LGU would allocate a budget to provide a PHP25,000 incentive for senior citizens once they reach 95 years old.
The LGU cash gift, intended to provide for the basic needs of the elderly, such as food and medicines, aligned with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) centenarian program and the provincial government program for senior citizens.
In addition to senior citizens, the local government is constructing a building for persons with disabilities (PWD), while providing them with livelihood assistance to make them feel included and valued.
“We are strengthening our Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program through the construction of the National Child Development Center worth PHP3 million,” he said.
San Remigio also hires more child development workers and provides them with training.
Meanwhile, Mission said six integrated schools in the municipality provide affordable and quality education to learners, especially in the remote barangays.
“We now have a senior high school in Sumaray Integrated School and Aningalan Integrated Farm School that were officially granted permits to offer Humanities and Social Sciences strands, starting School Year 2025-2026,” the mayor said.
Mission said he hopes to establish the San Remigio National High School before his term ends.
He also thanked Senator Loren Legarda and Rep. Antonio Agapito Legarda for providing a generator and an X-ray machine to their polyclinic so their residents need not travel to adjacent towns for medical examinations.
The oathtaking of the local officials was held simultaneously with the celebration of the 161st Foundation Day of San Remigio.
Meanwhile, Senator Legarda committed support to the LGU plan to hold more medical missions in barangays as a way of bringing healthcare services closer to people, especially in remote areas.
“We will bring good healthcare to the people,” Legarda said in her keynote message.
Vice Mayor Sme Panes, a doctor by profession, is also studying a scheme on how to send follow-up medicines to remote barangays after their medical missions.
“We will also deliver free medicines to the people right on their doorsteps,” Panes said.