City Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales has vowed support for the Duterte administration after taking his oath of office on Monday.
“We have a new president, His Excellency Rodrigo Duterte… We faithfully support his vision for a more progressive, safe, and orderly society, and the eradication of the menacing drug proliferation in our nation,” Morales said during his inaugural speech held at SM City Clark.
Morales’ administration, with the help of the local police, had created programs and missions to fight illegal drug use in the city.
Morales took his oath of office as elected city mayor before Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Omar Viola.
Vice Mayor Christian Halili and the members of the Sangguniang Panlunsod including Councilors Roland Peña, Dwight Morales, Amauri Tiglao, Gerald Aquino, Eduardo Sotto, Rogelio Yumul, Carlo Niño Rivera, Krizzanel Garbo, Jerry Basilio and Danilo Bayani also took their respective oath of offices before Viola.
New term plans
Aside from expressing support to the Duterte administration, Morales also presented his plans and programs for the next three years.
Morales’ primary thrusts for his new term will be education, health and socio-economic growth.
For education, Morales plans to open another extension of the Mabalacat City College near Barangay Dau to accommodate more students.
“We also have plans to open additional high schools to answer the growing demands from new elementary school graduates and the additional facilities requires for the K-12 Program,” Morales said.
For health, the mayor mentioned about the creation of a token clinic and infirmary which would serve as the beginning of the city’s hospital.
For socio-economic growth, Morales mentioned about the initiative to create a comprehensive master plan to prepare Mabalacat City into a world-class community and to be patterned mainly from the zoning and organized infrastructure growth prevalent with the City of Irvine in California, USA.
Morales has been the mayor of Mabalacat since 1995. He was given fresh mandate to run as city mayor in 2013 when the town was converted into a component city.
Morales thanked his supporters while he invited his detractors to “work side by side his government to address and find solutions to the problems of the city.”