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| (Image Source: Facebook/Mayor Eric B. Africa) |
Lipa City Mayor Eric B. Africa shared the city’s major accomplishments, ongoing projects, and plans focusing on healthcare, education, infrastructure, digital transformation, and social welfare during his State Of The City Address (SOCA) held last October 8, 2025 which marked Africa's first 100 days in office for his third and final term as the city's duly-elected chief executive.
Speaking live via online streaming on his official Facebook page and that of the Lipa City Public Information Office (PIO), Mayor Africa opened his address with heartfelt gratitude to every sector that continues to contribute to Lipa’s progress, stating, “Kapag pinag-uusapan natin ang kwento ng Lipa, hindi lang ito tungkol sa isang lider, isang opisina, o isang proyekto; ito ay tungkol sa bawat Lipeñong humaharap sa hamon ng buhay ng may tapang at pananampalataya.” One of the key highlights of his report was the massive improvement in Lipa’s healthcare system. The city’s health budget has tripled from ₱200M (200 million pesos) to over ₱679M (679 million pesos), resulting in the hiring of additional doctors, nurses, and medical staff. The Lipa Hospital System now consists of four interconnected, free hospitals offering specialized services such as dialysis, chemotherapy, and heart care through the Code HB program in partnership with Mary Mediatrix Medical Center. Noting that 70% of childbirths in the city now occur in public hospitals which saves families millions in healthcare costs, the mayor emphasized, “Sa Lipa, ang kalusugan ay hindi na pribilehiyo; ito ay karapatan ng bawat Lipeño.” In education, the mayor reported significant growth in the Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Lipa (KLL), the city's premier higher educational institution offering free college education to its growing youth, with enrollment doubling from 5,467 in 2019 to over 10,000 this year with hopes of reaching 20,000 by the next academic year. New degree programs, including Bachelor of Science in Data Science, Nursing, and Public Health, were also introduced to cope and comply with the continuing breakthroughs in daily modern life and the growing needs and demands in the new generation. The city government continues to fund additional teachers, classrooms, and scholarships to ensure quality education for all.
In addition, Mayor Africa also highlighted Lipa’s expanding economy with over 16,000 registered businesses as of September 2025, 98% of which are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The city’s budget has increased to ₱4.18B (4.18 billion pesos), and Lipa is now debt-free, a first in the city's history. The mayor also proudly mentioned that Lipa now has no pending Commission on Audit (COA) disallowances, underscoring the administration’s transparency and fiscal discipline. He declared, “Bawat proyekto sa Lipa, may mukha, may layunin, at may resibo. Wala tayong ghost projects dito.” Aside from economic progress, he emphasized environmental and infrastructure advancements, including waste collection in all 72 barangays, tree-planting under the “One Million Trees Program”, and the enforcement of green ordinances requiring establishments to allocate space for plants and trees. The city has also improved over 20 kilometers of roads and 2,400 streetlights since 2019. Meanwhile, to promote sports and youth development, the city launched the construction of a sports complex with an Olympic-size pool and stadium, preparing to host national events like the Palarong Pambansa in the coming years. Mayor Africa ended his address by reminding residents that Lipa’s growth is a shared journey, stating, “Ang progreso ay hindi dapat katakutan; ito ay mekanismo ng pagbabago. Hindi pa tapos ang kwento ng Lipa; ang pinakamagandang kabanata ay isusulat pa…nang sabay-sabay nating tatahakin.”
Through balanced development and with the cooperation of every sector involved, the City for All Seasons is not only able to achieve material progress under the administration of Mayor Eric B. Africa but also to further promote the spirit of unity, heroism, and appreciation to education as true major factors of change, continuing to inspire across the region with its strong foundation towards education and innovation.
(With words by Rowela Jane Trinidad, The APEX — The Official Student Publication of Batangas State University Lipa City Campus, and Harunobu Rosales, The Beat Publication — The Official Student Publication of Kolehiyo Ng Lungsod Ng Lipa)
