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Adrianne Mae Joson Cuevas (born May 6, 1969), commonly known as Rianne Cuevas, is a Filipino Politician, a Licensed Nurse, and the incumbent Mayor of Palayan City. She is tagged as the “Ina ng Lungsod ng Palayan” by her fellow Palayanos with her famous motto, “Tungo sa Bagong Palayan, Now Na!” She was able to transform the “barrio-tic” city of Palayan into a progressive city in her almost 9 years of leadership.

Personal Life
Rianne Cuevas is currently married to a businessman, Vicente P. Cuevas III. They have five children named Natasha, Viandrei, Ivan, Vincent and Annettejelle. She is also a Motocross biker who used to ride an 11,000 CC Bike when she was a child.

Early Life
Rianne Cuevas was born in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija. She was the eldest and the only girl among her three siblings. Her family left Gapan when she was 6 years old and her mother left for Germany to work as a nurse for three years. Her mother went back to the Philippines but not long after left for Saudi Arabia wherein she spent most of her childhood days under the care of her father and the company of her siblings. Cuevas’ father was strict in a way that she was not allowed to have a part-time job and to be a cheerleader at her school. However, she still managed to sneak her cheerleader dream from her father.

Cuevas admitted that she sometimes resented her mother for not being with her while growing up but she eventually understood the situation. She realized that if her mother stayed here in the Philippines, she and her siblings would not be able to attend a good school. Cuevas is thankful for her parents because of the lessons they have taught her that shaped and influenced her accomplishments right now.

Mayor of Palayan City (2013 - present)
Rianne Cuevas had been elected as the Mayor of Palayan City in the May 2013 elections. In her term as mayor, various projects and programs had been implemented for different sectors.

Agriculture

Mayor Cuevas gives great importance and support for the farmers to sustain one of Palayan’s economic propellers, agriculture. Through her effort, the city government holds Palayan City Farmers’ Congress every November which started in 2013. This aims to enlighten the Palayano farmers and farmers association regarding programs and projects of the different agricultural agencies to help improve their way of farming that resulted in better lives through accessible agricultural programs and quality services. This is a great opportunity to strengthen the linkages between farmers’ organizations and other agricultural institutions. Mayor Cuevas prioritizes farmers assistance programs through the development of livelihood training, technical assistance and learning programs (FSTP) of farmers to equip them with new knowledge in farming through the use of new technology that will improve their way of farming. These resulted in increased linkages to agencies for services and technologies, increased income through subsidizing farm inputs and machineries, and empowered farmers through the conduct of different conferences and seminars with continuous monitoring and evaluation.

An Onion Cold Storage was also inaugurated on December 4, 2020 for longer preservation of onions which will improve the income of farmers. The agricultural production of Palayan does not only go for the city itself but its surplus of products also goes to other cities and provinces.

Education

Mayor Cuevas also provides scholarship programs to address equity and access by providing direct financial assistance to deserving students across the city and also for the students of Palayan City Institute of Technology (PCIT), a TESDA accredited institution and the very first LGU-owned and -operated technology institute situated in the old city hall to address the needs for technical and vocational courses and programs in the city.

Business and the Palayan City Business Hub

With regards to business friendliness and competitiveness, she established and opened the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) and Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Negosyo Center last December 2016 during the celebration of the city’s 51st founding anniversary. This resulted in a simplified procedure of acquiring business registration and renewal in the city.

She also established the Palayan City Business Hub as a one-stop center for business and commerce for Palayan. With a total area of 37,500 square meters, it is a home to two world-class business-processing outsourcing buildings with a combined seat capacity of 2,500 equipped with high-speed Internet connectivity.

Moreover, a three-story, 75-room hotel and the first major commercial complex in the city has been completed. At least 18,000 jobs were generated by a business and government center in barangay Singalat. Some 15,000 of these jobs are call centers and 3,000 in hotels and other commercial establishments and in government offices. The land was donated by the city government as its contribution to the hub, which is being developed by the provincial government and MTD Philippines, a subsidiary of the Malaysian Conglomerate Alloy MTD. It is the Central Government and the Business Hub of the Province. Considerations of what the city can best contribute to the development of the province and the wider region are not only a valid concern but also an imperative.

With the city’s current vision to become an investment-friendly, agro-industrial and agro-tourism hub anchored to the opening of Palayan City Business Hub and other commercial establishments, the city will soon become the new center of business industries in the province of Nueva Ecija.

Health

As a health worker and a health advocate, Mayor Cuevas’s political entry is through medical assistance. She assures that Palayanos will get complete medical assistance from hospitalization to home medication. Palayan City also offers free mental health check-ups for citizens with psychiatric needs.

Under her term, the City Health Office is now PhilHealth accredited and now an infirmary hospital that currently provides more efficient and effective health services to all Palayanos. The establishment and construction of Palayan City Dialysis Center is also currently underway which would benefit Palayanos and nearby Local Government Units (LGUs).

Rianne Cares Foundation

The Rianne Cares Foundation has an Education and Health Program that will benefit Palayanos who struggle to afford tuition and medicine. The Education Program offers a full scholarship program for deserving Palayanos who want to attain a quality education at The Rizal Memorial Colleges, Inc. On the other hand, the health program prioritizes indigent Palayanos by providing them the “Rianne Cares Card'' which serves as a health card to get free consultation from doctors and free medicine from partner phramacies.

Clean-up Drive

Mayor Cuevas is consistent in implementing a weekly Clean-up Drive in the city of Palayan. This project is performed by the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) through the main directive of Mayor Cuevas wherein each barangay must do a clean-up drive as an adherence to the Manila Bay Clean-Up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program by the National Government.

Housing

Mayor Cuevas has been consistent in implementing the “TAHANAN Handog sa Mamamayan Program” before and amidst the pandemic to uplift the quality of living of less fortunate Palayanos. Through her initiative, the National Housing Authority (NHA) continuously grants and entrusts housing units for Palayan City as it is the first LGU that engaged in a partnership with them. Mayor Cuevas thought of this as an effective strategy to maintain housing facilities.

Peace & Order

Mayor Cuevas has been steadfast in her stand against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city. Illegal drugs issues are diverse and affect a significant cross-section of the community. Since she started the campaign in 2013, she has committed herself in continuing the advocacy every August of the year. The focus of this continuing advocacy is to enhance the relationships between existing service providers dealing with drug issues and assist in identifying areas of need and in sustaining collaborative strategies that will assist our leadership in addressing these needs.

Through strengthening the community to move in unison to eliminate illegal drugs in their midst by sharing of ideas through informative talks and discussions from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army, Department of Education (DepEd) and affected people as the resource speakers, Mayor Cuevas’ trust is to make the city a drug-free community. Palayan City Drug Summit is the last day of a week-long program pioneered by Mayor Cuevas to re-affirm her lifelong commitment in exploring the disruptive power of drugs and the critical role leaders play in fostering innovative ideas that could help address the complex challenges of our day. The summit tackles prevention in recreational use of prohibited drugs, history, drug prohibition laws, drug control strategies and testimonies from people who consumed prohibited drugs. This is an opportunity for the stakeholders to meet, collaborate and establish networking with other like-minded individuals about the fight against illegal drugs, and to create a common ground for leadership, values, and ideas towards achieving our aspirations as a nation.

Infrastructures

As of 2016, the city’s total road network (in km) is 161.91 km. Some of the completed programs and projects are Concreting of Barangay Roads of the 19 Barangays, Canal Lining of Magsaysay & Natividad (SLRF 2015), Construction of 6 units of Community Police Assistance Center (COMPAC), Construction of People’s Hall at City Hall Compound, Construction of Drainage System at Proposed Improvement/Development of Public Open Space/Garden, Construction of Day Care Centers, Construction of Library Building/CDRRMO Command Center, Rehabilitation and Improvement of Palayan City Institute of Technology (PCIT) facilities and many more.

Mayor Cuevas also provided a program that addressed the needs for a clean and potable water supply — Tubig...Daloy ng Buhay. The primary role of this program is to provide financial assistance in partnership with Palayan City Water District (PCWD) for technical assistance and to enforce state regulations that serve to protect the beneficiaries’ sources of drinking water. However, effective protection relies on the combined efforts of the local government, water suppliers and individuals whose activities have the potential to affect source water quality. This also aims to improve sanitation of the community by installing a water system that is free and safe to drink and to uplift the living condition of indigent families of the city upon the anchorage of the livelihood programs spearheaded by the City Social Worker and Development Office (CSWDO) and City Agriculture’s Office (CAgO).

For efficient transportation of services to the IP community in Barangay Langka, Mayor Cuevas initiated the construction of Langka Bridge which was completed last August 2017. This project helps the residents of Barangay Langka to transport their goods to the market areas rapidly. This also helps the city government to bring the public services closer to the community. Moreover, a new bridge is being constructed.

She also built the First Solar-Powered (off-grid) Tricycle Terminal in Palayan City to refrain the tricycle drivers from paying monthly electric bills.

City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)

Mayor Cuevas is a person who is committed to the promotion of good governance and the programs and projects she implemented and initiated can attest to this. Mayor Cuevas developed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office through renovation and improvement of the office and equipment. She even provided rescue vehicles for all the 19 barangays of the city which were given last 2015 during the celebration of the city’s 50th founding anniversary. A new BFP Station in Palayan City will be constructed under her term made possible through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)-Signing between the City Government of Palayan and Bureau of Fire Protection. Barangay Service Caravan Program

The Barangay Service Caravan Program was implemented to bring city government services directly to the barangays, most especially to the grassroots areas of the community. Free services offered include medical and dental check-up, blood sugar screening, free medicines, legal advice and services, processing of birth certificates and similar documents.

COVID-19 Crisis Response
Medical Response and Contract Tracing

Mayor Cuevas exhibited consistently effective leadership amidst the pandemic. At the brink of the crisis, the local government promptly delivered PPEs, disinfectants, medical supplies, ambulances, and other COVID-19 related equipment to frontliners and medical staff of Palayan City. They also implemented ordinances for the citizens to observe measures and protocols against COVID-19.

The local government conducted mass testing of 20,000 individuals in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija as Mayor Cuevas views it as the most effective response to track and contain the spread of the virus wherein she was among the medical frontliners who performed the testing. She also donated 1000 COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits (personal) for Palayan. To further enhance the method of contact tracing, Mayor Cuevas also established the City’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing, GIS-Enabled via server which is an advanced tool of the city’s capability to track COVID-19 cases.

Livelihood Support and Extended Donations

Mayor Cuevas still managed to maintain a dynamic livelihood for the farmers at the time of the pandemic. A buying station for vegetables has been put up in Palayan City which was distributed to all barangays to help the farmers whose livelihood were affected by COVID-19 Pandemic. Commercially available chickens were also bought from poultries and distributed to Palayanos to aid the food industry during the pandemic and to ensure the consumption of healthy food for the constituents. She also procured palay from her own pocket directly from the farmers above the prevailing market rate to help the farmers and their families who often got taken advantage of in terms of pricing during this pandemic, which in return to be distributed to the communities for consumption to ensure food security during COVID-19 crisis.

The local government granted cash donations on four (4) separate occasions amounting to P50,000.00 to all 19 barangays of Palayan City as financial aid for their proper response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the continuous grant of food provisions in the communities. They are also actively distributing the social pension for the senior citizens during COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the welfare of our elderly constituents in Palayan City.

Mayor Cuevas’ COVID-19 response also extended to other cities and municipalities of Nueva Ecija through the donation of PPEs and Disinfectants, and thousands of kilos of harvested squash from the farmers of Batitang, Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija to Ateneo University, Manila for distribution to various beneficiaries during COVID-19 pandemic. PPEs and disinfectants were also donated to Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital, Baguio City.

Procurement of COVID-19 Vaccines

Mayor Cuevas secured a budget of P50 million for COVID-19 Vaccines. She had a virtual meeting with AstraZeneca on February 16, 2021 to discuss the procurement of the vaccines. The said vaccines will be stored directly to the Onion Cold Storage.

Support for Organizations / Community
Mayor Cuevas organized different organizations and groups along with lots of programs and projects for the IPs, Youth, Elders, PWDs, and members of the LGBTQIA++ community.

LGBT

Mayor Cuevas initiated the formation of the organization of the members of the LGBTQIA++ community to craft programs and projects that will address all the issues and concerns for their welfare. She recognizes their importance who generally celebrates pride, diversity, individuality and sexuality to the development of the city and in nation-building.

PWD

For PWDs, they are gathered for a special program quarterly at Palayan City Conference Hall. Mayor Cuevas’ administration pioneered the Youth Congress where all the youth from different barangays are being gathered to showcase their advocacies, talents, and skills being held every December during the celebration of the city’s founding anniversary.

Senior Citizens

“Gabay Pagmamahal sa Nakatatanda” is one of her programs for the elders. Quarterly, through the help of the CSWDO, they are gathering all the elders from all the barangays and organizing a birthday celebration and special program at Plaza Conception, Palayan City. Another one is the “Pasine sa Nakatatanda” where the elders can watch their chosen films or TV series at the AVR, Palayan City Hall.

Indigenous People (IP)

Mayor Cuevas also gives importance to the indigenous groups in the city, particularly in Barangay Doña Josefa and Barangay Langka, through empowering them by providing services and programs that will uplift their living condition. She provided various livelihood training and workshops to the IP community. She initiated these programs to strengthen the skills, competencies, abilities and resources of poor Palayano families, and create an enabling environment for accessing income-generating opportunities to address basic needs, thereby improving their socio-economic well-being.

Women Empowerment

Mayor Cuevas is a distinguished public servant who has contributed a great deal of creative leadership that promotes women empowerment. She has taken an active role in what it means to be an outstanding public servant and initiated in passionately campaigning for Women’s Rights. She organized groups for women of Palayan City, such as Single Parents & Widow Association of the spouse of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). She even supports the Aulo Rural Workers Association (ARWA) whose members are engaged in Livelihood projects and programs. SARILAYA, a non-government organization of women development catalysts whose advocacy focuses on women, health, and environment, is one of the partners of the city government of Palayan in promoting women empowerment through providing programs and projects that will help equip women of Palayan with the necessary skills and knowledge that will help improve their lives.

LGU Employees

Mayor Cuevas, supports capacity building and skills enhancement for all the employees of the LGU-Palayan City through different seminars, conferences and symposia outside the city. She strongly believes that equipping and exposing the employees to different areas of learning; it will lead to better providing of services for the Palayanos. She also initiated the creation of Palayan City Employees Chorale (PCEC) and Palayan City Employees Dance Troupe (PCEDT) to hone the talents and skills of employees in singing and dancing. Mayor Rianne recognizes the important role of culture and the arts in shaping the city’s history.

Moreover, through the unending love and support of Mayor Cuevas to PCEC, the chorale group made history as the only government chorale group in the entire province of Nueva Ecija to be able to qualify in the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Government Chorale Competition held in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last September 2017.

Donations

Here is the list of Mayor Cuevas’ extended donation to other provinces: (1) Giving personal donation to the victims of 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato amounting to P500,000; (2) Cash donation to the victims of 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Makilala, South Cotabato; (3) Donation of 600 cavans of rice to the victims of 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Tabang, Mindanao; (4) Donation to the victims of the Taal volcanic eruption in Batangas City of the following items: 500 pcs. bathroom tissue, 250 dozens of toothpaste. 500 pcs. of soap, 400 pcs. of face towel, 500 pcs. of comb, 500 pcs. of suyod, 175 bottles of feminine wash, 500 pcs. of cologne, 500 pcs. of Off Lotion, 300 pcs. of blankets, 18 boxes of N95 masks, 3000 bottles of mineral water and 450 cavans of rice; (5) Donations of different goods to the victims of Typhoons Quinta, Rolan and Ulysses in the province of Camarines Sur.

''Palayan City’s Achievements and Awards Under Mayor Cuevas’ Term ''

February 17, 2021 - Plaque of Appreciation for Mayor Rianne Cuevas (Mega Drug Rehab)

June 20, 2020 - Champion, 3rd Gawad Parangal ng Kalikasan 2020

February 21, 2020 - Certificate of Recognition - City Action Team (CAT) Palayan City Nueva Ecija for Consistently achieving Level 3 of C/MAT Functionality (DSWD Field Office III, San Fernando Pampanga)

2020 - Top 1 - Best Performing LGUs in Nueva Ecija (Manila Bay Clean-up Rehabilitation and Preservation Program LGU Compliance Assessment) DILG

2020 - 2nd place, 2020 Pacific Super Game-Palayan City Baseball team Philippines-Korean Baseball Association

January 30, 2020- Plaque of Recognition - Palayan City NE, for being the most efficient LGU in North Luzon in terms of I-Build disbursement for CY 2019 Philippine Rural Dev’t Project, DA. Angeles Pampanga

2019 - The Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) Awardee 2019

September 19, 2020 - 2019 Presidential Lingkod Bayan Regional Award (Honor Awards Program) CSC Region. III

November 29, 2019 - Certificate of Recognition to City Government of Palayan for replicating the DSWD Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens and Allocating Funds Thereof (TAPATAN 2019 with LGU on November 27-29, 2019) DSWD Field Office III, San Fernando Pampanga

July 24, 2019 - PRIME - HRM Bronze Awardee (National Award) - City Government of Palayan, July 24, 2019. CSC Pasay City

May 11, 2019 - Seal Of Good Local Governance National Awardee Manila Hotel, Manila

March 15, 2019 - 2nd Place, Best CBMS Photo - 8th CBMS Special Awards for LGU CBMS International

November 15, 2018 - Certificate of Recognition to City Government of Palayan for Achieving a 100% Served Social Pensioners in the Implementation of Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens CY 2018 (DSWD Field Office. III, San Fernando, Pampanga)

2018 - 1st Place 2018 - Best PESO Component City Category (DOLE Regional Office)

2018 - Overall Champion, Rescue Olympics 2018 - Best in WASAR; Best in CSSR Palayan City DRRMO (OCD Region III)

2016 National Corn Quality Award - Outstanding City

2016 - Certificate of Recognition - Good Local Governance and for passing two out of six Governance Assessment Areas for 2016 (Peace and Order and Environmental Management)

2016 - Regional Child-Friendly City

2014 - National Awardee — Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance

2013-2015 - National Awardee — Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance