MAYOR Jane Censoria Cajes-Yap, or Mayor Jane Yap, is the first female mayor of Tagbilaran, the capital city of Bohol Province, the Philippines. From the day of the inauguration, Mayor Jane has mentioned her priority for the local people of Tagbilaran including health, livelihood, and housing. Those are realised in various programmes in her leadership.
Health – Under the leadership of Mayor Jane Yap, Tagbilaran City Council has allocated P5.5 million for health facilities in the city through the Health Facilities Enhancement Programme (HFEP). HFEP is formed to improve the delivery of basic, essential, and specialised health services in the city. The programme is eyeing the transformation of primary healthcare facilities in Tagbilaran. This proposal has been approved by the Tagbilaran City Council in August 2022.
Livelihood – Livelihood has also been the focus of Mayor Jane Yap’s work. This has led to the establishment of the Tagbilaran City Livelihood and Community Development Unit (TCLDU). The unit has organised livelihood workshops and training programmes for out-of-school youths, such as for the mass production of souvenirs and other related products for the city. Based on the city’s website, beneficiaries are also provided with knowledge on values formation, responsible parenting, reproductive health, gender sensitivity and development, and financial literacy and management.
Housing – Mayor Jane Yap led the ground-breaking of its first high-rise public housing building for indigent families under the Tenement Housing Project. Based on the Philippine Information Agency website, the city has allocated a P33 million budget. The project is planned to house around 80 urban poor families in the city with a monthly amortisation. Further Mayor Yap has also signed an agreement to extend a monthly subsidy of P1,500 for each beneficiary family for the amortisation.
For her work and leadership, Mayor Jane Yap has also been recognised as the second top-performing city mayor in the Central Visayas Region by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. Under her direction, the city has been recognised as reflected by various awards that the city has received, such as the Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit Category 3 award from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ranked No. 1 in the Most Competitive Component Cities in the Visayas 2022 awarded by the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines. The city’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils and Offices also received the National Gawad Kalasag seal in November 2022. The city’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau VII is also awarded Tagbilaran City, the title “Best in Dumpsite Closure and Rehabilitation Implementation.”
