Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna on Tuesday announced that her administration has made significant strides in paying down the city’s substantial debt, which exceeded P17 billion when she took office.

In her state of the city address delivered at the Philippine International Convention Center, Lacuna said the city has reduced its debt by over P2 billion in just one year. She attributed this achievement to “prudent financial management.”

“Despite the financial constraints we inherited, we have continued to deliver essential services to our constituents and have even launched new programs,” Lacuna said.

The mayor highlighted various accomplishments, including the senior citizen benefits, where a total of 184,572 registered senior citizens have received monthly allowances, birthday cakes and Christmas gifts.

She also said that Manila was recognized as the “World’s Leading City Destination” at the World Travel Awards.

On crime, the mayor said that the city has seen a decrease in crime rates and has been awarded the Disaster Resilience Champion Award for the National Capital Region.

Lacuna also expressed gratitude to her constituents, city officials, and barangay heads for their unwavering support.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together,” said Lacuna. “But we are not stopping here. We will continue to work hard to make Manila a better place for all.”