TARLAC CITY — A year after taking office amid political and fiscal challenges, Mayor Susan Yap delivered a message of resolve and gratitude on Wednesday, August 12, declaring that her administration has kept its promises and will continue to push forward despite the odds.
Speaking before city officials, government partners, business and civic leaders, members of the judiciary, uniformed personnel, media, and her fellow Tarlaqueños at the Plazuela Convention Hall, Yap framed her first State of the City Address around one central message: the city has faced its challenges—and risen above them.
“Last year, promises were made and challenges were faced—and a year later, I stand before you to say that these promises are being fulfilled and the challenges were met with firm resolve and dignity,” Yap said.
She recalled how her administration’s first major hurdle came even before it could fully begin its work: the legal challenge to her electoral mandate.
Yap highlighted the July 29 Supreme Court ruling affirming her eligibility to serve as mayor and upholding her proclamation. She said the Court’s unanimous 13-0 decision put the eligibility issue to rest and, more importantly, protected the will of the electorate.
“The will of the electorate was protected by our Supreme Court, and for that we are truly grateful,” she said.
Her administration pursued initiatives in social welfare, employment, healthcare, skills development and training, agriculture and food security, the Uptown Public Market, digitalization, and other frontline services, she reported.
Governance built with the people
Yap said her administration’s roadmap is anchored on good governance, participation, transparency and accountability, emphasizing that city plans must not be designed by a few but shaped by the needs and voices of the people. For the mayor, governance is not simply about managing a city’s major projects. It is also about responding to the everyday concerns of residents.
“Being a mayor is a front-facing one,” Yap said, describing the job as one that requires handling “micro-problems” with urgency and compassion. She credited the people behind the scenes—from city employees and barangay officials to members of the sangguniang panlungsod, government agencies, civic organizations, businesses and ordinary citizens—for helping move the city forward.
“This administration’s record is your record too,” she said. “We built this year together.”
‘Tarlac City is my home, too’
Yap closed her address not with a list of accomplishments, but with a declaration of shared ownership and purpose. She thanked her family, religious and civic organizations, media partners, business leaders, national and local government agencies, fellow local chief executives, provincial officials, Vice Gov. Lita Aquino, Gov. Christian Yap, and citizens who supported the administration.
“Every accomplishment this year has been a shared accomplishment. Every success belongs to all of us,” she said. And then, a simple statement that underscored the personal meaning of her public service: “Tarlac City is my home, too.”
With the legal battle behind her and the city’s full-year budget finally in hand, Yap now faces perhaps her administration’s biggest test: turning a compressed four-month window into a year’s worth of results.
Her final message was both a promise and a challenge: “This past year has proven something important: this administration does not just meet challenges; we rise above them.”
