While Cotabato Province gears up towards its 108th year come September, returning Governor Emmylou “Lala” J. Taliָño-Mendoza is seeing a new beginning as she embarks on a new direction to lead the province as the highest-ranking official and a fitting end to her three-year tenure as vice governor.
“This day signifies an end, and symbolizes a new beginning. This is a manifestation of a renewal, as well as a commitment for change,” she said when she took oath as the 25th elected governor of the province on June 20, 2022 at the Provincial Gymnasium in Barangay Amas, Kidapawan City.
With her strong will to deliver on the commitment of “Serbisyong Totoo”, Governor Mendoza underscored her shared goal with her party-mates “to usher a new phase in the political life of the province and its people” with her 12-point priority agenda, ever mindful that public service is all about serving the people.
The new administration’s thrusts include 1) People’s Participation and Empowerment; 2) Women, Persons with disabilities (PWDs), Senior Citizens, LGBTQIA+ empowerment programs and benefits; 3) Social Services; 4) Cultural Preservation, Peace and Harmony, Tri-people Council for Peace; 5) Health and Protection Against Infectious Disease; 6) Disaster Preparedness, Responses and Resilience; 7) Agricultural Productivity and Livelihood; 8) Environment and Tourism Development; 9) Infrastructure & Barangay Development; 10) Education; 11) Youth Empowerment and Sports Development; 12) and Moral Recovery, Good Governance, Accountability and Transparency.
In line with this agenda, the governor aims not only to bring the government closer to the people through community-based services and programs but through active participation and partnership with the local government units (LGUs), as well revives professionalism and accountability among employees and officials in the provincial government, just as she did when she was also Governor in 2010-2019.
She vows to carry out this mandate even if it would mean that she would be misunderstood for being frank, straightforward and having to walk her talk.
As determined as she is to bring about change with “effective and efficient governance”, the lady governor challenges officials and employees to take the opportunity to discharge their duties and responsibilities well with her administration’s vision to rebuild Cotabato Province as she also asks all Cotabateños regardless of their political affiliations and religious beliefs to keep the faith in her leadership as she is set to provide the service and care that they so deserve from the government.//idcd-pgo//
