Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap was warmly welcomed by city officials and employees during her first flag-raising ceremony held at the Tarlac City Plazuela Convention Center on July 7, 2025.
As part of the official rites, the Tarlac Police Provincial Office (TPPO), led by Provincial Director P/Col. Miguel Guzman and City Police Chief P/Lt. Col. Rommel Santos, accorded Mayor Yap full arrival honorsโsymbolizing the start of her term as Tarlac Cityโs new chief executive.
In her speech, Mayor Yap thanked department heads, city employees, and the TPPO for their support and outlined her vision for the cityโs transformation.
โThis ceremony marks more than our respect for the flagโit signals the beginning of a new chapter for our city. One with a clear mission, responsive governance, and long-term solutions to the challenges we face,โ Mayor Yap said.
She laid out the administrationโs goals, promising internal reforms that go beyond cosmetic changes and directly address systemic issues in the city.
โWe will fix whatโs inside so we can fix whatโs outside,โ she declared. โTrue transformation starts from within.โ
Among the key areas she mentioned were:
- Reorganization of city hall offices and workflows
- Status and operations of the Tarlac City General Hospital and health centers
- City traffic management and enforcement
- Public market operations
- Solid waste management
- The city budget, which had been vetoed by the previous administration
The ceremony also marked the launch of the official city hall โBasura Jingleโ titled โLinis TrakโSerbisyong MaYapโ, as part of the cityโs revitalized waste management campaign.
Tarlac Governor Christian Tell Yap, the mayorโs son, also attended and delivered a brief message of support.
After the event, Mayor Yap met with barangay captains to discuss pressing concerns โ particularly those surrounding the vetoed budget. She also led the distribution of medicines and participated in the release of financial assistance to senior citizens and day care workers across Tarlac City. (Arvin M. Cabalu)
