JOHN G. BONGAT JASON B. NEOLA FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. IAN MAR P. NEBRES LEE ARMIE B. GUNAY This quarterly magazine City Mayor Managing Editor REUEL M. OLIVER Drone Pilot SHARMAINE ZEN O. MANZANO is published by the Editorial Consultants Writers City Government of Naga, NELSON S. LEGACION RAFAEL RACSO V. VITAN ALLEN L. REONDANGA thru the City Publications Office Vol. 9, No. 1 | January - March 2018 City Vice Mayor Graphics Design and and the City Events, Layout Editor JOSE V. COLLERA ALEC FRANCIS A.SANTOS CHRISTOPHER E. ANTONIO Protocol and Public Information SYLRANJELVIC C. VILLAFLOR PAUL JOHN F. BARROSA RUEL P. SANDUCO Office, with editorial office at A Quarterly Magazine of the Circulation JOSE B. PEREZ REYNALDO T. BAYLON LILIBETH SANCHEZ City Hall Compound, City Government of Naga Editor KEVIN JOHN O. BILLIONES XERES RAMON GAGERO Technical Advisers J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Bicol, Philippines Layout Artist Photographers 4400 Philippines ARMIE GUNAY ISSN 2094-9383 Supervising Editor ANSELMO B. MAÑO Tel: +63 54 881-8328 Website Administrator +63 54 871-3098 Email: [email protected] Web: www.naga.gov.ph PHOTO BY BIKERS RIDE JOSE COLLERA their way in the city today as they join this year’s 3rd Naga City Bike Festival celebrated with bike lessons, exhibitions and competitions, in support of the clean- air month. TABLE OF CONTENTS The “An Maogmang Lugar” logo is Mayor’s Message 26 Naga receives newest award as G&D learning Hub 3 an attempt to capture Naga as we want it to be – a city that is progressive Mayor Bongat leads Tabang Mayon Naga mission IMPROVING RIVER’S WATER QUALITY and yet environment-friendly, where 5 27 Naga to put up P8-M water treatment facility at NCPM The “Naga SMILES to the World” the people freely participate in the logo is composed of the two day-to-day affairs of the government, Nagueños celebrate Feast of Señor Sto. Nino baybayin characters, na and ga. 7 Bongat: Entry of new BPO firm in Naga to boost an and where culture and arts are 30 ‘Already Booming Economy’ flourishing. Na, shaped like a mountain, Nagueños honor the 15 Bicol Martyrs provides a strong foundation for the 11 The stylized design of “NAGA” Terminal for trucks mulled Narra tree which grew abundantly 31 represents the city’s aggressive along the Naga River while a zigzag More hotels in Naga rising, march towards modernization and line denotes the majestic Malabsay 14 City prepares for more visitor influx 33 QUICK RESPONSE progress. The sky-blue background, Falls. the Narra tree, and the Naga River Naga SP Mulls More represent our people’s desire for an Ga, shaped like a farmer’s plow, 16 Budget of Drainage System SP HIGHLIGHTS ecologically-balanced community. is symbolic of the Nagueño’s agricultural roots and hardworking The ring of people surrounding the 330 students in for Summer Jobs personality. 17 35 2017 Landmark Legislations entire design shows the Nagueños’ participatory mechanism which is The baybayin Naga characters 40 Comprehensive Drainage and Flood Control Master Plan for Naga part and parcel of the city’s way rest on a wave-like element which 18 ASEAN Integration of doing things. It also shows the represents the Naga River and the people’s concern and unity in serpent, which is read in Sanskrit 42 Joint Session sa Barangay everything that is good for the city. as naga. City’s Population Nutrition Office bares 2018 Action Plan 20 Today, the city, as Maogmang Lugar, This new branding for Naga, The Hungry Guide: aims to portray more than a happy 45 Naga City, Camarines Sur launched in 2010 by the dynamic place but a happy people who are the Naga Abattoir gain ‘Double A’ Standard; Bongat administration, envisions a 22 Safer meat is Assured true beneficiaries of everything good more livable city that is world-class. 48 2018: Long Service Award that is happening in the city. 1 JANUARY - MARCH 2018 JANUARY - MARCH 2018 2 Mayor's Message NEW YEAR A MOMENT OF REFLECTION VERY New Year brings more difficult and yet During my inaugural address 8 years ago, I interesting challenges. This is so because the emphasized that I don’t make promises because it is not incoming year is but a continuation of the saga of what I am. “Instead,” I said, “I am sincerely asking for your Esuccess and failure that transpired in the past year. On genuine support.” the failures, we resolve to correct them. On the triumphs, we vow to improve even more on them. Call that human “Give me all the opportunity to make a difference in persistence— to hurdle obstacles or rise every time we your life. Please help me become the best mayor I can ever stumble because, after all, there is no limit to what the be.” This, I said as I looked at the expectant faces of those human spirit can do, especially for things that are best for listening to my inaugural address. They trusted that their ourselves, for our family, for our neighbors and, to a larger new mayor, upon whom they had given their overwhelming extent, for our nation. mandate, could symbolize a truly promising future for each and every Nagueño at that time. Incidentally, the first days of 2018 were met with heavy flooding that put under water and deep anxieties After 8 years, with one more to go, I thank you for many towns and cities in the Bicol peninsula due to unsparingly giving me that support. As to what impact my continuous rains brought by a tropical depression that term of office has so far brought to your lives, the honest came in late December of the previous year. Classes were answer can come from only you, my fellow Nagueños. temporarily suspended; and rescue and relief teams were deployed to save limbs and lives before the tempest could Also during that moment, I talked about genuine get worse. Nagueños who think unselfishly of others, especially when they unite as one community, one city poised to do not only Fortunately, our fears were somehow tempered as greater things but the greatest things that can ever happen no typhoon of more disastrous caliber came, at least for to the present generation and the next. Naga and the neighboring towns. The floodwaters, in a few days, went seeping down to our drainage and storm canals, I also pointed out that we become true Nagueños towards the Naga River and into San Miguel Bay where the when we fight, with conviction, the ills of our government sun eventually shone to signal a bright day and new hope and society. The Naga citizen, to the amazement of others, for the new year. has learned to talk back to their leaders to get what the city needs. This year will be a prelude to my final year as your chief local public servant. By the middle of next year, Naga More significantly, in that same address, I emphasized City will have a brand new mayor. that because we had good leaders in the past, notably our former Mayor Jesse M. Robredo whose achievements and At this point, allow me pause for some reflection. sacrifices had built for us a strong cornerstone to soar to greater heights, we Nagueños have no reason to fear for tomorrow because yesterday prepared us to face the most difficult challenges that will ever come our way. What remains to be done is to make things better than we did them the last time. Now, I urge each and every one of you to do some moment of reflection so that we can bring to life the truth of what has happened in the past; to understand what we would like to take place today and tomorrow. This will allow us, as Nagueños, to see our respective contribution to a problem, then the ways that we might improve, and remove the blind spots that blur our thinking and our character in becoming contributors to our city’s development. Indeed, the ability to honestly and quietly reflect on one’s life is one of the most powerful tools for our lives to become better. And when that is done, we should all rise and join our hands together as we begin to face anew the bigger challenges of the New Year. PHOTO BY SYLRANJELVIC VILLAFLOR 3 JANUARY - MARCH 2018 MAYOR BONGAT LEADS TABANG MAYON NAGA MISSION By ARMIE B. GUNAY TABANG MAYON TEAM RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE EVACUEES AT MAURARO HIGH SCHOOL, GUINOBATAN, ALBAY. napkins, body soaps, diapers, face towels, and bottled water. The Metro Naga Water District also sent its Lorry AYOR JOHN G. BONGAT and his team from “Tabang Mayon”, the humanitarian mission of the City truck to deliver potable drinking water in the evacuation of Naga for Mayon evacuees, arrived on January 13 in Albay with three truckloads of relief goods centers. M and a lorry truck to extend help to victims of Mayon’s ash flows and explosions. The recipient evacuation centers initially visited by The people of Naga City and various private organizations sent sacks of rice, noodles, canned the mayor and his team were Comun Elementary School goods, hygience kits, face towels, face masks, and other basic items to at least three identifed evacuation in Camalig, Albay, the Mauraro High School in Guinobatan, centers in the towns of Camalig, Guinobatan, and Ligao City that were hard hit by continuous ash falls Albay, and a school-evacuation center along Sabloyon and explosions even on the day that Mayor Bongat and company were distributing the relief goods and highway in Ligao City.