TARLAC CITY, Tarlac (Oct. 7, 2025) – In a comprehensive address detailing her first 100 days in office yesterday, this capital city’s mayor highlighted a whirlwind of initiatives aimed at revitalizing public service, from clearing a garbage crisis and jumpstarting the economy to overhauling health and social welfare systems.
Addressing a jam-packed crowd at the Plazuela Convention Hall that included city council members, barangay leaders, and national agency partners, Mayor Susan Yap framed her administration’s mission simply: “Every Mayor has one job – to make their city the best place to live. Not the biggest and not the flashiest, but the best for its people.”
She acknowledged inheriting a city government facing significant challenges, including a reenacted budget and the sudden preventive suspension of several city employees.
“Nevertheless, we managed,” Mayor Yap stated, detailing the swift appointment of Officers-in-Charge to maintain continuity.
ECONOMIC AND LIVELIHOOD BOOST
The administration aggressively rolled out livelihood programs, distributing starter kits and food carts to 81 individuals and providing community-based training to 1,400 individuals across 23 barangays. The Mayor also reported progress on major investments.
“Hindi lingid sa kaalaman niyo ang pag-groundbreak ng Coca-Cola Plant, kasunod na ang Ajinomoto; ang pagbubukas ng S&R, solar plants, at iba’t iba pang pabrika,” Yap revealed.
A significant achievement was the series of 18 job fairs, with the most recent at Robinsons Luisita, resulting in “716 job seekers ang nag-apply at 101 ang hired on-the-spot.”
OVERHAULING HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
In health, the city conducted medical missions in 28 barangays, serving over 7,600 residents. The lady mayor announced plans to build three new Super Health Centers.
“Alam niyo ba na ang pinakamaraming pinanganganak sa buong probinsya ay ang siyudad? Kaya lang, bakit walang birthing clinic na pinatatakbo?” she queried.
She said that efforts to secure licenses for birthing clinics in Mapalacsiao and Matatalaib are underway.
To address critical gaps, she noted that there were only two ambulances for the more than 400,000 residents. The city has since received an additional ambulance and is procuring three more Patient Transport Vehicles.
In social welfare, Mayor Yap announced she has endorsed a measure to increase the cash gift for senior citizens.
“Mula sa tinatanggap na P500, itataas ito sa P2,000,” Yap announced amid the cheering from several hundred senior citizens in attendance.
She also plans to repurpose the unused “Balay Silangan” into “House 7610” to serve abused women and neglected children. The Republic Act 7610 is also known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act” that provides a comprehensive framework for protecting children (under 18) from various forms of abuse, including physical, psychological, sexual abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
CONFRONTING A GARBAGE CRISIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PUSH
The mayor took a firm stance on environmental cleanliness. After the previous garbage hauling contract expired, the city intensified its collection, doubling the daily waste collected from 150 tons to 320 tons.
“Mahal ko ang Tarlac. Hindi ko hahayaang magmukha itong basurahan,” declared Yap.
The innovative “Palit Plastik Program” collected 14,900 kilos of plastic bottles, which citizens exchanged for 7,450 kilos of rice. She also expressed surprise that only four of 76 barangays have a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), pledging to add ten more.
INFRASTRUCTURE, PEACE AND ORDER, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
On the public market, the mayor excitedly announced that the Uptown Public Market, long closed, will reopen its dry goods section by December, with designs finalized by the United Architects of the Philippines.
In peace and order, the city recorded 5,469 traffic violations in three months, with “No Helmet” being the top offense.
“Malungkot at mabigat sa aking kalooban na makitang may nagdurusang pamilya dulot ng hindi pag-iingat sa daan. Bawat buhay ay mahalaga,” Yap said.
The leader also revealed a startling discovery about the city’s “Smart City” status.
“Laking gulat ko dahil karamihan ng mga records ng City Government sa kasalukuyan ay naka-save pa rin lamang sa USB. Walang laman ang server room,” Yap lamented.
Yap said that she has since initiated retraining for personnel on e-governance systems.
Addressing the city’s finances directly, she pushed back on claims of a P2-billion savings left by the previous administration, presenting figures from the City Treasurer that show a total available fund of P1,486,685,208.73.
“Kaya hindi ko po malaman, saan po nanggaling ang mga pahayag na may P2 billion savings na naiwan,” Yap stated.
A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE
Closing her speech, the Mayor framed the first 100 days as a foundation for a greater transformation.
“A hundred days may sound short, just one basketball season, just a few school terms, but what we’ve done in those days, others take years to start. We’ve laid a groundwork for a city that runs efficiently and cares deeply,” the former governor and lawmaker said.
She contrasted the typical image of a city with her vision for Tarlac City.
“For years, the word city was tied to Metro Manila – tall buildings, fast-paced, endless traffic. But we can do better. We can build a city that’s livable, green, safe, and efficient… If we have done this much in 100 days, imagine what we can do in a year.”
