In a simple but fitting ceremony at the City Hall Conference Room last Thursday, February 7, 2013, DILG IX Regional Director Paisal O. Abutazil, CESO III turned over to the City Government of Zamboanga headed by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat, a Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) Check amounting to THREE MILLION PESOS (PHP 3,000,000.00).

The activity started with Mayor Celso Lobregat giving his Welcome Remarks to the personalities present, to include, Hon. Vice Mayor Cesar Iturralde, Hon. Abdurahman B. Nuño, President Liga ng mga Barangay, CPDO Rodrigo Sicat, OIC-CD Moh. Taha S. Arakama, Mr. Jun Cillo and Mr. Elmer Egama from DILG.

Dir. Paisal Abutazil discussed the rationale behind the PCF Subsidy. Dir. Abutazil emphasized that the DILG IX recognized the exemplary performance of Zamboanga City in governance particularly along the governance areas of development planning, sound financial management, transparency and accountability. Zamboanga City is a recipient of the Seal of Good Housekeeping for CY 2011, Round 2, thus qualified to receive the P3Million PCF Subsidy.

Mayor Lobregat and Dir. Abutazil then signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the purchase of ninety (90) computer units with complete accessories which will then be donated to eighteen school beneficiaries. VM Iturralde and Councilor Nuño stood as witnesses for the City Government of Zamboanga while OIC-CD Arakama and Mr. Jun Cillo stood as witnesses for the DILG. Afterwards, Dir. Abutazil turned over the symbolic check of P3Million as well as the two (2) checks amounting to P1.5Million each to Mayor Celso L. Lobregat.

The activity ended with some photo opportunities with the personalities around.