Mayor cites good relations with councilors for growth

• Source: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1748256/Cagayan-De-Oro/Mayor-cites-good-relations-with-councilors-for-growth
• Sunday, June 17, 2018

By PJ ORIAS

CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno on Friday, June 15, credited the executive department’s much improved working relationship with the City Council as a key factor in the city’s increasing competitiveness.

Speaking in front of a huge crowd in Divisoria that included Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III Moreno highlighted his administration’s achievements, especially in the last two years.

Moreno said his administration has been focusing on three key areas--winning the hearts of the people by bringing the services to the frontlines; second, putting in place a pro-administration City Council; and third, which he said he is still working on, having a harmonious and productive relationship with the barangay officials.

“Hopefully, the trend of growth of Cagayan de Oro will continue, and the city being the flagship city in Northern Mindanao, the trading hub, educational and medical center, our position will further strengthen and increase with the passing of time,” Moreno said.

Now in his second term as the mayor, Moreno said he has made more than 500 classrooms in the city, using solely the “taxes of the people of Cagayan de Oro.”

With the establishment of these classrooms, Moreno said the usual four-shifting schedule of students in schools has become a thing of the past.

He said a groundbreaking 4,000 scholars were accepted for the City Scholarship Program too, realizing his campaign promise to more accessible education especially for the youth.

Among his administration’s achievements, according to the mayor, are: a total of 63 kilometers of roads fixed mostly in the hinterland areas thereby boosting trade and opportunities for the residents in uptown areas; the closure of the dump site in Upper Dagong, Zayas; and developing an engineered sanitary landfill in barangay Pagalungan.

Moreno said he plans to turn the dump site into a park.

“All of these are made possible through the support of our very supportive vice-mayor Kikang Uy, and the majority councilors, thank you very much for your cooperation,” he said.

“Let us also not forget what happened in a nearby city, Marawi, where we took in a lot of our brothers and sisters there to live here with us. Our solidarity and compassion for them will continue and we have learned to live in peace amid diversity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Pimentel who was the guest speaker as the city celebrates its 68th Charter Day, vowed to promote Cagayan de Oro in his agenda.

Pimentel said he has strengthened his communication lines to reach out to people, so people can directly tell him what they need.

Pimentel also said that in the 2018 national budget, he recommended the construction of the drainage projects in barangays Kauswagan and Carmen worth P10 million each; the rehabilitation of Divisoria in the amount of P80 million; and the rehabilitation of the convention center in barangay Indahag worth P100 million -- a project which his father, former Senate President Nene Pimentel, started.

“We have a lot to be thankful for, Cagayan de Oro has done so much, we invented motorela, we have the best ham, binaki, and cashew nuts, we have produced beauty queens, so we really have to celebrate with these milestones achieved under the administration of Mayor Oca Moreno,” he said.