Mayor Atty. Arth Jhun Aguilar Marasigan highlighted the major accomplishments of the City of Sto. Tomas over the past year and outlined priority projects for the coming year during his 5th State of the City Address (SOCA) held Monday at the City Hall Annex Building main lobby.
Speaking before government officials, business leaders and representatives from various sectors, Marasigan said the city’s programs and projects were anchored on his administration’s commitment to provide responsive public services while sustaining economic growth and improving the quality of life of Tomasinos.
Healthcare services expanded
Marasigan reported that the city conducted around 145,000 medical and dental consultations in 2025, including services delivered through the “Aksyon Bilis Caravan” and “Aksyon Bilis Mobile Clinic.”
The city also provided 29,000 sanitation and food services and 56,000 preventive health services, including immunization, deworming and newborn screening.
Free medicines were distributed to 85,000 beneficiaries, while the city provided 20,000 laboratory services, along with 2,790 prenatal tests and 2,039 postnatal tests.
The mayor also cited the expansion of specialized health facilities, including the DOH Level II-accredited Teen Health Clinic, Animal Bite Treatment Center, Social Hygiene Clinic and Mental Health Clinic.
In partnership with SM Foundation, the expansion and modernization of the City Health Center II in Barangay Sta. Clara is also underway.
Among the planned health initiatives are the establishment of the DOH Juan Gamot Pharmacy, city-wide Yakap Mass Registration, transfer of the 24/7 Basic Emergency Maternal and Newborn Care (BEmONC) facility to City Health Center II, as well as the AJAM H.E.A.R. You and AJAM Eye Care programs.
More students receive scholarships
In education, the city provided scholarship grants to 10,000 senior high school and college students during the two semesters of School Year 2025–2026, with total assistance reaching ₱47 million.
The figure represents a 66.67 percent increase from the 6,000 scholars recorded in the previous school year.
The city also provided educational assistance to abused children, Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), children of solo parents and out-of-school youth enrolled in technical-vocational training.
For school needs, the city made available 27,000 school uniforms, 10,000 school bags and learning supplies, and 2,745 learning book sets for Tomasino students.
Employment and livelihood programs
Marasigan said the city employment program recorded 15,474 job placements through school-based job fairs, local and overseas recruitment activities, barangay recruitment and location-based job fairs.
Meanwhile, the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) provided work opportunities to 93 students during the school break.
The mayor also highlighted the SULONG program, which currently benefits 200 qualified farmers who receive ₱15,000 worth of farm inputs to help sustain crop production.
Business sector continues to grow
Marasigan said Sto. Tomas continues to strengthen its position as a gateway to the South and a growing center for trade and commerce.
The city now has 5,600 registered businesses, a 12-percent increase from the 5,000 businesses recorded in 2025.
For locally sourced income, the city is expecting a 7.3-percent increase in revenue collection for 2026, reaching approximately ₱968 million.
The mayor also cited a 10.5-percent average annual economic growth recorded by the city from 2022 to the present.
Based on Philippine Statistics Authority data cited during the address, the city’s growth rate is higher than the 5.6-percent Calabarzon growth rate and the 6.7-percent growth rate recorded by Batangas province.
New projects planned for the coming year
Marasigan announced several priority projects aimed at further improving social services and government accessibility.
These include the construction of a child-minding station for solo parents, establishment of a Wellness Hub to address mental health concerns, expansion of the Social Hygiene Clinic, digitalization of government services and additional livelihood programs for small businesses.
Marasigan said the city’s whole-of-government approach is intended to bring public services closer to residents and make government programs more accessible.
He emphasized that the SOCA is more than a report on completed programs, describing it as a reflection of the aspirations and dreams of Tomasinos and the city government’s efforts to turn those aspirations into concrete programs and development initiatives.
“Our goal is to make the City of Sto. Tomas healthier, safer, progressive and vibrant community where comfort living and ease of doing business is not temporary but a way of life,” Marasigan said.
Under his administration’s banner, “Aksyon Bilis na Serbisyo na may Ngiting Tomasino,” the mayor said the city remains focused on sustaining economic development while delivering quality public services to its residents.
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