Rain or shine, work goes on. That was the tone set by Santa Rita, Pampanga as it kicked off the week with a flag ceremony on July 21, undeterred by gloomy skies and persistent monsoon rains.
Mayor Reynan Calo, fresh from the DILG’s Newly-Elected Officials (NEO) Program in Manila, outlined the administration’s key priorities: strengthening public health services, advancing education through lifelong learning, and modernizing agriculture and agribusiness—all under a governance model he calls Bayung Santa Rita, Balen ning Pag-asa (A New Santa Rita, Town of Hope).
Despite heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat), the municipality sustained operations throughout the weekend. Calo credited the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Municipal Agriculture Office (MAgriO), and the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) team for their frontline response and monitoring efforts. He also thanked the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) for continuing its core social service programs.
The Mayor gave special recognition to the Human Resources Office for realigning staff roles and introduced a new operations arm—the Mayor’s Office Support Group (MOSG)—tasked with on-ground assistance during field deployments and urgent initiatives.
This week’s focus: formalizing LGU committees and naming point persons for critical functions, as Calo pushes for tighter internal coordination and clearer accountability across departments.
Santa Rita’s leadership is sending a clear signal—adverse weather won’t stall governance.