Zamboanga, a city of the future - Kenney
American Ambassador Kristie Kenney has dubbed Zamboanga as a city that is “leading the way among cities in the Philippines, of thinking ahead and looking at the future”. “That is one of the reasons why I am so proud to be a daughter of this city because this is a city that is not only of the present but city of the future”, Ambassador Kenney said February 11 during a program that followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Zamboanga City Water District and the Philippine Water Revolving Fund (PWRF) at the Pasonanca Park noontime yesterday.
The envoy, who is Zamboanga’s adopted daughter said the MOU signing will have great impact on the future of the city and that “it is about moving forward, about clean water and making sure that the city progresses”. “I would like to thank the mayor not only for making this city a city that we all love to visit but for making this a real city of progress”, she said as she likewise thanked the people involved in the implementation of the MOU. She stressed that the American people are very proud to be part of the future and that the Americans are thankful that Zamboanga allows America to be its partner.
The PWRF is designed as a co-financing facility targeting creditworthy water service providers. Its development was spearheaded by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GOP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA). Based on the MOU signed by ZCWD general manager Leonardo Vasquez and PWRF Chief of Party Alma Porciuncula, the PWRF Support Program will provide technical assistance for the feasibility study of a sewage treatment facility.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ambassador Kenney, Mayor Celso Lobregat and ZCWD board chairman Edwin Makasiar. Meanwhile, in an earlier activity at the Sta. Maria Central School where the ambassador graced the ongoing training for Science and Math mentors, the envoy also highly praised Mayor Lobregat for considering the education of the youths as a top priority. From the Sta. Maria Central School, the ambassador together with the mayor also graced the re-launching of the Recodo Elementary School library, which has been a recipient of the Books for the Barios program of the United States for the last ten years now. For his part, Mayor Lobregat presented the city’s massive education-related infrastructure program and the continuous support and assistance to the education sector in the city. (City Hall PIO)