SAN JUAN City Mayor Francis Zamora recently welcomed a high-profile delegation from the Australian Political Exchange Council led by Tasmanian Senator Josh Anthony Dolega highlighting the local government’s progressive public service initiatives.
During the visit, Senator Dolega praised Mayor Zamora for prioritizing education in local governance, a commitment that has helped propel San Juan to a 95 percent functional literacy rate—the highest among highly urbanized cities nationwide.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey, this metric indicates that roughly 9.5 out of 10 San Juaneños possess advanced reading, writing, computing, comprehension, and reasoning skills.
In addition to educational milestones, the Australian senator lauded San Juan’s pioneering Right to Care Card.
The inclusive program ensures that residents can designate a trusted individual to make critical healthcare decisions on their behalf during medical emergencies.
Accompanying Senator Dolega was a diverse group of Australian lawmakers, councilors, and policy experts, including Nigel Grantly Hutton, MP (Queensland); Councilor Peter Warwick Hudson (Rockingham, Western Australia); Christopher John Ross Hancock (Advisor to Senator Anthony Chisholm); Tiarne Chantel Crowther (Australian Services Union); Rebeckah Madeline Auld (The Nationals New South Wales); and Ariel Sean Larkey (Australian Political Exchange Council).
As part of their immersive visit, the international delegates toured key local landmarks and facilities.
These included the Makabagong San Juan National Government Center—featuring the Bagong Pilipinas eGovPH Serbisyo Hub established by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.—the Makabagong San Juan Theater, and the historic El Deposito Museum and Underground Water Reservoir.
City officials emphasized that the high-level engagement serves as a valuable platform for cross-cultural knowledge-sharing, empowering San Juan to exchange best practices with international and local counterparts to foster more responsive, people-centered governance.