Actor-public servant Arjo Atayde emotional in his SODA
QUEZON City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde was emotional from the start as he delivered his State of the District Address (SODA) on Monday at the Skydome in SM North.
He profusely thanked everyone who he said has supported him all the way since he assumed office and was teary-eyed about it. It was like a roll call on who’s who in the Quezon City government, from Mayor Joy Belmonte to Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, and other special guests like Cong. Erwin Tulfo whom he described as ‘family’ with his own real family family –father Art Atayde, mother Sylvia Sanchez and wife Maine Mendoza silently beaming with pride.
In his comprehensive speech, he reported that more than 400,000 individuals have directly benefited from his signature “Aksyon Agad” programs since taking office in 2022. “Sa ilalim ng Aksyon Agad, naisakatuparan natin ang mga programang may direktang epekto sa pang-araw-araw na buhay ng ating mga mamamayan,” said the lawmaker, as he detailed the impact of his office’s initiatives in employment, education, health, youth development, disaster response, and infrastructure.
The actor-public servant emphasized that “projects or numbers are not at the core of Aksyon Agad, kundi ang bawat taong natulungan at bawat pamilyang naiangat.” He stated that over 400,000 residents benefitted from Aksyon Agad in QC’s first district.
Among the key accomplishments he highlighted were the TUPAD emergency employment program, the Taiwan Job Fair, the Sustainable Livelihood Program,Tulong Dunong and SMART, Kusina on Wheels, Pamaskong Handog, among others.
According to Atayde, “sa bawat pisong inilalaan ng gobyerno para sa ating distrito, sinisigurado nating walang nasasayang—lahat ay napupunta sa programang direktang makakatulong sa inyo.” “Public service is not about grand gestures or sweet words—ito ay ang mabilis, epektibo, at tunay na pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng tao…”
On education and youth development, he shared that “sa pamamagitan ng CHED Educational Assistance, 4,598 mag-aaral ang nabigyan ng suporta para maipagpatuloy ang kanilang pag-aaral” while “a total of ₱2,817,000.00 in cash allowance ang naipamahagi sa 929 senior high school students sa ilalim ng Tulong Eskwela Program.”
The young legislator also pointed out the important role of sports development as he revealed that the Aksyon Agad Sports Program supported 987 young athletes, while the Inter-Barangay Youth Program and Council League that was launched during his first term was expanded to foster unity and discipline. “Next year, the program will expand to include badminton, chess, darts, and bowling—giving more residents the opportunity to participate and strengthen community ties,” said Atayde.
Atayde closed the SODA by thanking his wife, Maine, as well as his family, for their support. He also extended his gratitude to his constituents, and said that he would never take their trust for granted. “Wala po ako rito kung hindi dahil sa inyong tiwala—isang tiwalang hindi ko kailanman ipagwawalang-bahala. Sa bawat araw na lumilipas, patuloy kong pinagsisikapan na patunayan na karapat-dapat ako sa pagkakataong ibinigay ninyo sa akin… Maraming, maraming salamat, Distrito Uno! Thank you for believing in me; I won’t let you down.”
