Bago City maps next-level growth in first SOCA

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BAGO CITY, Negros Occidental — Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao declared that Bago City is poised to become the “next big thing” in Negros as she highlighted new investments and development initiatives during her first State of the City Address on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Bago City Coliseum, Javellana-Yao presented her administration’s accomplishments before city and barangay officials, government employees, law enforcement personnel, their families, and other guests.

Javellana-Yao took office in June 2025 after previously serving as city vice mayor from 2007 to 2016.

In a media interview after the address, Javellana-Yao said she had dedicated herself fully to serving the city and remained optimistic about achieving greater progress in the coming years.

“I gave my all, and hopefully we will do even better in the coming years,” she said.

The mayor said reflecting on the city’s past challenges made its current progress more meaningful.

“It’s good to look back to see and feel the hardships we went through to make the city what it is today,” she said.

Javellana-Yao expressed confidence that the city’s continued growth would attract more investors, which she attributed to the local government’s efforts to strengthen partnerships and build trust.

Her first-year accomplishments under the Asenso Bago governance framework and the “May Gugma nga Panghimanwa” banner focused on agriculture and food security, health care, education, infrastructure, and economic development.

In agriculture, the city distributed 34,200 bags of certified and hybrid palay seeds worth PHP 44.51 million in partnership with the Department of Agriculture.

The assistance benefited 10,263 rice farmers across the city’s 23 barangays and was intended to increase yields and protect harvests.

The city also expanded its support beyond rice production by strengthening organic farming and high-value crop programs.

A total of 1,250 farmers received banana and coffee planting materials, vegetable seeds, and other agricultural support.

The city also established HAPAG community gardens in six barangays and six schools.

Javellana-Yao said the city continued to assist fisherfolk through the distribution of fiberglass boats, tilapia fingerlings, and fishing equipment and through the establishment of artificial reefs.

The city also expanded veterinary services through vaccination programs, livestock dispersal, animal health services, and artificial insemination.

“Agriculture is not simply about producing food. It is about ensuring that no family who feeds our city is left hungry for opportunity,” Javellana-Yao stressed.

In education, Javellana-Yao said a significant portion of the city’s 20% Development Fund had been allocated to Bago City College.

The allocation will finance a four-story building with additional classrooms and laboratories.

Plans for the college also include a student dormitory and a modern library.

“We don’t just build classrooms. We build opportunities. We don’t just support schools. We support dreams,” she said.

Bago City College recorded 6,162 students for the 2026–2027 academic year, the highest enrollment in its history.

The college produced 1,157 graduates from its four academic programs during the previous school year.

Javellana-Yao said the Iskolar Bago Program continued to provide educational grants and summer employment opportunities to deserving students.

The city launched the Bago City EduGrant last year and selected 850 scholars from more than 3,000 applicants.

Each scholar will receive PHP 5,000 annually until graduation, provided the recipient maintains the required grades.

The city will add another 850 scholars to the program each year.

“Education is the great equalizer. No Bagonhon child should ever dream small just because of they can’t afford,” Javellana-Yao said.

The city also expanded technical-vocational programs through its Technology and Livelihood Development Center.

The programs equip young people and adult learners with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning.

“Because education is not measured only by diplomas. It is measured by lives transformed, families lifted out of poverty, and opportunities that once seemed impossible, but are now within reach,” the mayor said.

The City Library distributed storybooks, conducted read-aloud and art activities, and launched a mascot and outdoor library through its “LiBro, BasA kaG IstOrya” program.

The outdoor library is located at the Children’s Playground in Bantayan Park.

Barangay Lag-asan also became the first barangay in the city to be affiliated with the National Library of the Philippines.

In health care, nearly 2,000 Bagonhons received free laboratory services and medical consultations through first lady Louise Araneta-Marcos’ LAB For All program.

The national program, whose name stands for “Libreng Laboratoryo, Konsulta, at Gamot Para sa Lahat,” brought medical and other government services to Bago City in November 2025.

The city also provided free eyeglasses and vision screenings and expanded its dental services.

Javellana-Yao said the local government was working to improve the city hospital’s equipment and facilities.

A YAKAP Center offering ultrasound and mammography services and a bacteriology unit will also open after securing regulatory approvals.

“Our goal is simple: Healthcare should no longer be just a service—it should be a system that every Bagonhon can trust,” Javellana-Yao said.

The city allocated PHP 32.3 million for tourism programs this year, which reached more than 100,000 local residents and visitors.

“But beyond the numbers, we do not just support businesses. We create opportunities, we open markets, and we promote Bago City to the world – with a heart,” Javellana-Yao said.

The city completed 22 infrastructure projects worth PHP 36.9 million to improve health, education, tourism, and public service facilities.

In partnership with Negros Electric and Power Corp., the city provided electricity to 157 households in Purok Pinetree, Barangay Tabunan.

The partnership also energized 30 households in Sitio Hibong, Barangay Don Jorge Araneta.

The Bago City Dungganon Youth Hub, Library and Coworking Space at Bantayan Park will serve as a center for learning, innovation, and youth leadership.

The facility was donated to the city by the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation through its Dungganon program.

The city will begin the first phase of the Bago City Public Library in Barangay Ma-ao with an allocation of PHP 8 million.

The project is intended to make books and other learning resources more accessible to residents of the city’s barangays.

The city also broke ground for the PHP 645,000 Asenso Bago Kids Playground in Barangay Ma-ao.

The PHP 3.5 million Bantayan Food Plaza is also being developed at Bantayan Park to provide families with a clean and safe gathering space.

The food plaza will also provide business opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises.

On June 30, the city inaugurated the PHP 7.7 million Bago City Community Fish Landing Center at Bantayan Park.

The facility is intended to support fisherfolk and provide a better market for their catch.

The city began constructing the first phase of the Bago City Senior Citizens Center at Bantayan Park with an allocation of PHP 10 million.

It also allocated PHP 2 million for two market blocks at the Barangay Don Jorge Araneta Public Market to support vendors and strengthen local trade.

An Asenso Bago Action Center will soon open in Barangay Ma-ao with an allocation of PHP 5 million.

The facility will serve as a satellite office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office and bring social services closer to residents of upland barangays.

The city will also install a PHP 3.8 million traffic signal system at Crossing High School in Barangay Lag-asan to improve road safety.

“These are not just buildings and facilities. These are investments in people. Because infrastructure must serve with a heart,” Javellana-Yao said.

On July 8, Bago Negros Energy Corp. broke ground on a 150-megawatt wind power facility in Barangay Calumangan, correcting the original draft’s reference to the groundbreaking as occurring “last month.”

The project will have 23 wind turbine generators across Barangays Calumangan, Napoles, Taloc, Sampinit, Busay, Balingasag, and Lag-asan.

The project has an initial construction cost of PHP 9.78 billion and was previously described as part of a USD 250 million renewable energy investment.

From July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, the city generated PHP 1.95 billion in total revenue.

The revenue included PHP 327.08 million from local sources and PHP 1.62 billion from the National Tax Allotment.

The city allocated PHP 75.34 million for social services.

The allocation included PHP 38.56 million for health programs, PHP 6.45 million for education support, and PHP 12.57 million for social welfare assistance.

“Good governance begins with transparency and accountability. Because people always come first,” Javellana-Yao said.

The city also allocated PHP 34.83 million for economic services.

The amount included PHP 11.87 million for agriculture and food security and PHP 851,890 for livelihood programs.

The city invested PHP 92.39 million in roads and PHP 10.73 million in water projects to bring basic services closer to its barangays.

It also allocated PHP 6.97 million for environmental programs designed to protect natural resources and strengthen disaster resilience.

“Because we are building the foundation for a strong and resilient Bago,” Javellana-Yao said.

Javellana-Yao said the Department of the Interior and Local Government named Bago City a 2025 Good Financial Housekeeping passer.

She described the recognition as proof of the city government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible spending.

The mayor said the administration’s next chapter would focus not only on delivering government services but also on transforming how government improves people’s lives.

“Leadership is never about looking back for too long. It is about seeing what still needs to be done. That is why our work does not end with this report. In truth, it is only beginning,” she said.

Javellana-Yao said progress should not be defined solely by economic growth or physical development.

She said progress should also be measured by how residents care for one another, create opportunities for those with less, and ensure that no Bagonhon is left behind.

“Our story is still being written. The accomplishments we celebrate today are only the foundation of an even brighter future. Together, let us continue building a city that does not simply grow, but grows with purpose; a city that does not simply prosper, but prospers together; and a city that does not simply lead, but leads with compassion,” Javellana-Yao said.