SOCA reflects on Zamboangueño resiliency

MULTI-AWARDED Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco, speaking to a huge crowd on her last State of the City Address, has praised and commended all those who have supported her administration as she elaborated one by one her various accomplishments amid the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Several times in her speech, she thanked the members of the City Council for supporting her various projects and programs; the security sector for keeping Zamboanga and its people safe and protected; the different government agencies and the heads of the local government departments and the Zamboanguenos – Christians, Muslims and the indigenous community, among other sectors. 

She also reminisced about her decades of colorful political career - victorious and undefeated up to now - and always putting the welfare and security of her people and the city she called home. 

Climaco served as a councilor from 1998-2004; vice mayor from 2004-2007; and as congresswoman of Zamboanga from 2007-2010 and again from 2010-2013, and vice mayor in 2013 and eventually mayor up to now. And listening to God’s calling to continue serving her people who wanted her to run for congress, the hard working Climaco is running again in District 1.

She also quoted a Latin expression “Summum Bonum,” meaning the highest or ultimate good, which was introduced by the Roman philosopher Cicero to denote the fundamental principle on which some system of ethics is based - that is, the aim of actions, which, if consistently pursued, will lead to the best possible life.

“It is a principle which I live by and teach those who I worked with to be good consistently,” she said. “Such was our disposition as we worked on Day 1 till the very end of my term as mayor - to do good at all times. Anointed and sent, this is my calling to serve Zamboanga City.”

Saying God has sent her, Climaco quoted a verse in the Bible - Jeremiah 29: 11 – “For I know my plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

“This is God’s calling for me to fulfill with everyone’s help. My conversations with you, querido compueblanos, in schools and barangay covered courts, in farms at the east coast or canning factories in the west (coast), in distant military or police outposts, and even in your living rooms through your television sets, radio or cell phone screens, have inspired me and kept me going. These conversations kept me grounded and made me a better person and a better Mayor who listens and understands each one of you. All of you became part of my journey and helped make Zamboanga who and what it is today,” she said and started elaborating many local government programs and projects that largely benefitted residents, especially the poor and the disadvantaged sectors of society.

Climaco praised the resiliency and the perseverance of each and every Zamboangueno regardless of their faith and belief from the rebel attacks in 2013, the calamities and now the Covid-19 pandemic. “We made it through, overcoming difficulties and surpassing all obstacles,” she said.

“Just three years after the siege, Zamboanga City was adjudged 1^st place Most Improved LGU (local government unit) among 33 highly urbanized cities in the country, and (ranked) 4^th Most Resilient City in the Philippines by the National Competitiveness Council, recognizing our ability to recover after a crisis.”

“We were also bestowed the Seal of Good Local Governance by the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) for two consecutive years based on indicators on economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency” Climaco said.

The mayor further said that all those awards and recognitions are feats never before achieved by any administration in the past. “And with all these querido Zamboanguenos, we can proudly say that we have shown the nation and the rest of the world that we are strong, that we are brave and that we are united in rebuilding a better Zamboanga. Mafuerza, Valiente y Unido,” said Climaco, who was also recognized as the “Most Outstanding Mayor” by the Federation of Local Councils of Women in the Philippines in 2017, and chosen as among the “Top 5 World’s Best Mayors” by the prestigious City Mayors Foundation along with Valeria Mancinelli, Mayor of Ancona, Italy; Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, UK; Nathalie Appéré, Mayor of Rennes, France; and Charlotte Britz, Mayor of Saarbrücken, Germany.

Climaco was many times interrupted by applause of the guests and had to briefly stop her speech. There were times during her address that Climaco got emotional, but managed to regain her composure to continue. Her speech lasted nearly four hours. (Zamboanga Post)