2022 15 June 2022, Cagayan de Oro City—Eight years after the first Pahinungod (tribute) was held on the same day in 2015, City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno led the City Government of Cagayan de Oro in paying tribute to the government and international agencies, institutions, organizations, and establishments that have been the city’s partners in building a more liveable, prosperous, resilient, innovative, and competitive Cagayan de Oro on the 72nd anniversary of its declaration as a chartered city.

In her welcome remarks, Local Economic and Investment Promotions Officer (LEIPO) Eileen San Juan said that the first Pahinungod was for establishments that had provided employment, education, and health services for 50 years or more, companies that spurred economic growth, and international agencies that helped improve the city’s competitiveness, resilience, and livability.

This year’s Pahinungod, she continued, is for institutions and organizations that have walked with the city on its journey to becoming one of the country’s top 10 Most Competitive Highly-urbanized Cities and the core city of the Philippines’ fourth and newest economic center: Metropolitan Cagayan de Oro.

Among the 78 pillars of the community honored during the hybrid event broadcast over Zoom and Facebook Live were national government agencies, business, professional, civil society, and non-government organizations, private companies, as well as academic, and religious institutions whose sustained support and partnership cut across various development areas and concerns encapsulated in Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno’s 8-point development agenda, namely:

1. Peace and order and poverty alleviation;
2. Resilience and revenue generation;
3. Infrastructure and investments;
4. Metropolization;
5. Education and environment;
6. Health and hospital services;
7. Agricultural productivity; and
8. Traffic, transportation, tourism, and teamwork.

“Thank you can never be enough,” Mayor Moreno emphasized in his message. “The best way to express our deep gratitude is to support the incoming administration and build on our gains,” he continued. “Without you, Cagayan de Oro will not be what it is today.”

Leading a toast to the honorees, the Mayor said, “Progress and prosperity are always beautiful to achieve but they do not come free. They are a result of teamwork, harmony, commitment, determination, and co-ownership, and all of you who have supported us in each and every way throughout these nine years of struggle, tears, happiness, and fulfillment!”

In conclusion, he proposed a toast to, ‘The success and continued growth and prosperity of Cagayan de Oro!”

In her response on behalf of the honorees, Ms. Milwida Guevara, President and Chief Executive Officer of Synergeia Foundation, Inc., thanked the Mayor for championing education and earning the city Synergeia’s Seal of Good Education Governance for four years in a row. “You are an eagle,” she said. “Fly higher and higher because the sky is yours.”

The evening ended with a surprise tribute to Mayor Moreno whose pursuit of “kurambos” (Visayan term for partnering and pooling resources) as the only way towards effective public service served as the substrate for these partnerships to blossom.

Cagayan de Oro City, 30 March 2021—Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno sits down with former Health Secretary and Dean of the Ateneo University School of Medicine and Public Health Dr. Manuel Dayrit, and three (3) other City Mayors to discuss their plans for large-scale vaccinations.

The Fireside Chat hosted by Livable Cities Philippines and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), titled “Vaccine Ready Cities: The Road to 500K Daily Vaccinations,” brings together healthcare facility heads Dr. Gap Legaspi of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and Dr. Saturnino P. Javier of the Makati Medical Center in the first segment on “Inoculations at Primary Care Facilities” moderated by BCG Managing Director and Senior Partner Anthony Oundjian.

The second half moderated by Dr. Dayrit will focus on citywide vaccination rollouts with City Mayors Moreno, Beng Climaco of Zamboanga, Emmanuel Maliksi of Imus, and Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela.

The Mayors will discuss the availability of supply, communication challenges and solutions, data management innovations, and the logistics nitty gritty of the heretofore historically unprecedented undertaking.

Livable Cities PH Chairman Guillermo "Bill" Luz is set to open and close the proceedings, just one in a series of Livable Cities Labs, a platform and venue for cities and institutions to share good practices and solutions and forge new partnerships presented by Livable Cities PH with the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), in partnership with Globe Telecom and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno presented development prospects for Metropolitan Cagayan de Oro (Metro CDO) at the Business Webinar on Metropolitan Davao and Metropolitan Cagayan de Oro organized by the Consulate of Japan in Davao City, and the Region X and XI Offices of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Also featured at the webinar were Consul General Miwa Yoshiaki, who opened the proceedings, NEDA XI Regional Director Maria Lourdes D. Lim, CESO II, who gave an overview of the activity, and NEDA Undersecretary Mercedita P. Sombilla, who laid out the role of Mindanao in National Development.

Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte, outlined development prospects in Metro Davao while Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) President Dr. Lourdes Monteverde, introduced Metro Davao investment opportunities.

In his presentation, Mayor Moreno stressed the importance of developing both the northern and southern entry points to the island of Mindanao, underscoring this as the trigger for east and west to follow suit.

He proceeded to highlight the locational and logistical advantages of Metro CDO, the strong economic performance of the region, the competitiveness of the metro’s constituent cities and municipalities, the soundness of its core infrastructure, history of successful collaborations with international partners--including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the delicate balance that we have worked hard to maintain between health and economy.

The Mayor ended with an overview of big ticket projects in the metro, such as, the Metro CDO Railway, Transit Oriented Housing, Waste-to-Energy, Water Supply Improvement, and Metro Cable Car projects, as well as the proposed Science, Technology and Innovation Hub of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) in Alubijid, Misamis Oriental. 

“Strike gold in Metro Cagayan de Oro!” Mayor Moreno invited the participants, which included Japanese firms specializing in agribusiness and food, the automotive industry, banking, construction, energy, logistics, and telecommunications, and included Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippine Office, Azukizawa Eigo.

Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (ORO CHAMBER) President Ruben Vegafria, reinforced the Mayor’s invitation by presenting a comprehensive picture of Metro Cagayan de Oro as an investment destination, outlining opportunities for investment in various sectors, such as, food and materials processing, tourism, transportation, and communications.

Prior to a brief open forum, Shimizu Corporation Manager Isoda Susumo presented his company’s profile including their ongoing implementation of the Davao City Bypass Road Project, which includes the first ever long distance mountain tunnel in the country.

NEDA X Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño, CESO III closed the proceedings with a message to the participants to strike gold in the rich and still largely unmined economic and development frontiers that are Metro Davao and Metro Cagayan de Oro.n