MANILA Mayor Honey Lacuna blasted the non-stop black propaganda being waged against her, as she called on the residents to always get the correct information from reliable sources like their barangays, instead of merely relying on social media platforms which are not always reliable and credible and most of the time offer nothing but fake news.
Lacuna made the pronouncements as she and Vice Mayor Yul Servo, in support of chairmen, are making the rounds of barangays which are holding their 2nd Semester CY 2024 Barangay Assembly themed, “Talakayan sa Barangay: Aktibong Diskusyon ng Pamayanan Tungo sa Masigla at Maunlad na Bagong Pilipinas,” as mandated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The mayor chided the fake news being circulated by a political rival that the senior citizens are being deprived of their monthly allowances and that she is not doing anything as a mayor.
“Sabi ng isang marites, inaapi daw namin ang seniors at di natatanggap ang allowance,” Lacuna said and then directly asked the senior citizens present if they receive their allowances, to which they replied in the affirmative.
Apart from the updated senior allowance payouts, Lacuna also recently signed the city ordinance which doubles the senior residents’ monthly allowance from P500 to P1,000 starting 2025.
“Hindi lahat ng nasa Facebook o YouTube ay totoo. Marami pong fake news ngayon,” said Lacuna.
‘Yung wala daw akong ginagawa, fake na fake po ‘yan. Di lang ako mahilig mag-post ng mga ginagawa ko at walang kamerang laging nakasunod dahil tahimik akong nagta-trabaho at nagdadala ng serbisyo diretso sa tao,” Lacuna stressed.
At least every week, Lacuna and Servo bring the City Hall’s essential and basic services straight to the barangays through their “Kalinga sa Maynila” program. There, the residents are able to air their concerns, complaints or questions which are directly addressed by the city officials led by the mayor herself.
Also during every ‘Kalinga,’ Lacuna said that the residents of scheduled barangays are able to avail of wide-ranging services which are usually sought by those going to the Manila City Hall.
All they have to do is go straight to the stall offering the particular services they need, all for free.
Lacuna said that the stalls are manned by personnel from the departments, bureaus or offices that offer among others, free checkups and medicines; vaccination of pets; replacement or processing of IDs and purchase booklets for senior citizens, PWDs and solo parents and birth, marriage or death certificate concerns.
The lady mayor added that the city’s public employment service office is also there to offer job opportunities for the unemployed.
Meanwhile, Lacuna urged the residents to actively participate in the barangay assembly.
Under the Local Government Code, barangays are required to hold a barangay assembly every semester to keep their constituents abreast in the undertakings of the barangay government, especially on its spending.
