Mayor-elect John Dalipe minced no words in declaring at his inaugural yesterday that his incoming administration starting at noon on June 30 will institutionalize new changes in City Hall transactions as he underscored honesty, sincerity and transparency in local governance.

“Este ya! Tiempo ya! Principya ya el cambio” (This is it! It’s time! Change begins!) Dalipe, declared in his inaugural speech. “This change begins with me. This change begins with you. This change begins with us,” he stressed.

Dalipe, who took his oath of office before the presumptive Speaker of the 19th Congress Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, vowed to invoke the full power of his office, his time and energy, and to summon all the wisdom attendant to his office to the cause of progress, peace and development with honesty, sincerity and transparency.

Having earned the moniker as “Yorme” by supporters and friends, the young Dalipe said his victory in the last elections was the victory of the Zamboangueños and the city as a whole, stressing further that his “election was not rooted in the desire of being in power but it was about the city that we love.”

The incoming city mayor likewise called on all political colors to come together as one in the name of progress, development and change “as we aspire to build Zamboanga City that is inclusive of change, hopeful in every progress and that no Zamboangueño will be left behind.”

According to Dalipe, his administration will effect changes in different angles to improve and solve the problems that hold back the city’s progress, foremost of which are the damaged roads, drainage systems, flash floods, and garbage collection.

On transparency, Dalipe vowed to improve government practices by making sure that every Zamboangueño has the fundamental right to be involved in the process.

“Todo biddings del gobierno hace quita live para no hay question na proceso y claro, para no hay question de overprice. After all, el sen de gobierno, sen ese del gente, debolbe otravez na gente,” Dalipe declared.

Likewise, Dalipe emphasized under his administration starting June 30 the public will have full access to all government documents.

“Si tiene quien nu quiere dale, avisa comigo.”

He also assured that under his leadership the city officials, particularly the department heads, are allowed on their own to attend and/or appear before any investigative bodies, committee hearings and sessions of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

“Ahora, change is coming!”

Moreover, Dalipe pointed out that his administration will see to it that the city government will have the most inclusive and fastest economic recovery plan amid the Covid-19 pandemic that will truly help the business sector, especially the micro enterprises.

Aside from Dalipe, the newly elected and reelected members of the City Council together with Councilor and Vice Mayor-elect Josephine “Pinpin” Pareja also took their oaths of office, one after the other. Congressman-elect Khymer Adan Olaso of District 1 and reelected Congressman Jose Manuel “Mannix” Dalipe took their oath from Rep. Romualdez.-(Vic Larato) (photo credits: Eugene Elnar)