Celso bares plans to build 7 senior citizens’ centers
Mayor Celso Lobregat swears into office the newly elected officers of the Ayala Society of Elders during the induction ceremony held at the Ayala Barangay Hall Friday morning. Witnessing the event is Ayala Barangay chairman Alexis Ortega. (JOEY BAUTISTA)
Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday revealed that plans are in the works for the construction of seven multi-purpose buildings for the exclusive use of the senior citizens in different strategic locations in Zamboanga City.
Mayor Lobregat made this commitment during the induction of officers of the Ayala Society of Elders, Inc. headed by Octavia Olaso, president. Close to 200 senior citizens from the different barangays in the west coast (District 1) had attended the ceremony held yesterday morning at the Ayala Barangay Hall.
Lobregat said that he had already instructed the City Engineer’s Office to prepare and submit to him the soonest time possible the design, plans and estimates for the multi-purpose buildings for senior citizens.
He said each building will be about 90 sq.m., depending on the availability of the land, an office for the senior citizens officers, two comfort rooms and most importantly a social hall where the elderly congregate for their fellowships and other activities like ballroom dancing.
One of these buildings, the mayor announced, will be constructed in Ayala, right at the barangay complex where the barangay hall, the gym, the lying-in clinic, the City Hall Extension and the Voc-Tech School are located.
Thus, the senior citizens in District 1 burst into euphoria even as they vowed to support Lobregat’s reelection bid next year. “Para realiza este project, ay suporta kame con uste na di tuyu aca-tercer termino,” the elderly chorused.
Similar structures will also be constructed in Vitali, Curuan, both in the east coast, and other growth areas in the city.
In another development, the chief executive has emphasized the importance of academic degrees in agriculture, saying that Zamboanga City, the third largest in the country, is very much lucky to have 40% agricultural lands.
Speaking at the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the College of Agriculture, Western Mindanao State University in San Ramon, Lobregat noted the present downtrend of enrollment in agriculture degrees in most schools throughout the country.
This, he stressed, was the reason why he granted his congressional scholarships on agriculture at WMSU College of Agriculture when he was congressman of the Lone District of Zamboanga City in 1998.
Most agriculture graduates would end up in non-agriculture fields while those in other academic disciplines would find themselves in farming, citing himself as an example having been an economics graduate but ended up managing his family farms then to politics.
Lobregat said the WMSU agriculture alumni particularly the Batch ’84 are indeed a source of inspiration not only for the university but for the entire city and region in general. (Vic Larato)