Kevin Anarna presented before the local
leaders, local government
staff, teachers, local investors, and leaders of 64
villages here the town’s
achievements during their
first year of service in his
first State of the Municipality Address on Friday, July
14, at the Cavite State
University gymnasium in
Barangay Biga 1.
Anarna cited the
Commission on Audit report 2022, in which government revenue collection
recorded P431,428,000,
an increase of 13 percent
from the previous collection.
The employment
rate increased by 80 percent in the first half of 2023
compared to 25 percent in
2022.
In his 24-page
report, Anarna stated the
establishment of “Iskolar
ng Bayan” which will provide financial assistance
to selected scholars of 50
students who will receive
P60,000 per school year
grant.
“We have
strengthened micro, small
and medium enterprises,
or MSMEs, for more opportunities to earn a living.
We were able to send 161
Silangeños for seasonal farm workers in South
Korea, which we visited
recently,” Anarna added.
“In my first year
of leadership as the new
mayor of our town, Bagong Silang, we have
overcome many trials and
problems. What used to
be abandoned is now a
town that is looked up to.
It’s only the first year of
our administration but we
have come a long way.
The whole Silang can feel
the change,” Mayor Anarna said.
He noted the local government unit (LGU)
issued and gave away
37,000 sets of school supplies, from school bags to
notebooks and pens, plus
10,000 hygiene kits.
In terms of social
services, there were 5,035
Silangeños who benefited from their door-to-door
strategy of providing financial assistance to senior
citizens and persons with
disabilities.
“We will also continue to give 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) which has reached
1,982 and it will be increased soon. We are organizing the Pamilihang
Bayan for a decent and
clean public market to be
pleasant for consumers,”
he added.
Silang also increased the equipment of
the local police force. The
LGU bought additional
weapons, ballistic shields,
and above all, six units of
Philippine National Police
(PNP) patrol cars and a
SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) van that
police can use to quickly respond to any situation. The mayor revealed
the reconstruction of the
pending PNP building and
Rural Health Office left
behind by the previous
administration. The crime
rate in the area decreased
by 389 from January-June
2023 compared to January-June 2022 with 705
cases.
He also presented the procurement of new
uniforms for the personnel
of the local Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of
Fire Protection. Additional
fire trucks of high-quality
were also given that will
help the BFP staff for faster response in putting out
fires in case of an emergency.
Anarna said
when he assumed the
mayoral seat, there were
192 CCTVs that were installed but only 22 were
working due to last year’s
onslaught of Typhoon
“Paeng.”
“This is very little
in a town with 64 villages.
That’s why the LGU immediately increased it, and
right now, there are 140
CCTVs that are working
and actively monitored by
the traffic monitoring team,
road safety, and surveillance in public areas,” the
mayor said.
For tourism promotion, the LGU’s Public
Information Office came
up with promotional videos
dedicated to promoting local businesses and industries in Silang.
The recognition
of the town increased with
the Guinness World Record set with the longest
line of candles lit in a relay
with 621 candles during
the town’s fiesta celebration — the Sumilang Festival in January 2023.
