Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Monday, June 20, reminded all city government employees to continue practicing honesty in their jobs and to serve the public with respect and truthfulness.
Sotto made the statement during the city's flag-raising ceremony held at the city hall as he announced the different social services the city government will launch during his second term as the city mayor.
Among these is the Local Senior Pension (LSP) distribution which will be launched on July 2. The program offers financial aid to senior citizens aged 65 and above who have no other sources of pension aside from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Seniors who were unable to avail of pensions from the Social Security Service (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or those who are unemployed are eligible to receive the LSP. Based on records, more than 16,000 senior citizens will receive P500 per month through the LSP starting in July.
"Simpleng paalala lang po ulit na maglingkod tayo ng tapat at mahusay lalo na ginagawa nyo din naman. Siguro sa loob ng tatlong taon, marami tayong pinakilalang mga pagbabago sa pamahalaan pati na rin sa ating CSWD (City Social Welfare Department) (Just a simple reminder for everyone to continue serving the public with honesty and excellence. I believe that in the three years we've been together, we have already made a number of needed changes in the government and in the CSWD)," Sotto said.
"Yung iba nakita agad kung bakit natin kailangan ang mga pagbabagong ito, mga pagbabagong ginawa natin, yung iba siguro medyo may resistance ng konti pero naintindihan ko naman po, normal yan lalo na pag bago yung mga ginagawa natin (Others immediately saw why we needed to implement these changes. While there were those who showed resistance, I understand them, especially since we are implementing drastic changes)," he added.
The mayor explained that everything that his administration is doing is for the benefit of Pasigueños who all deserve to be served properly by the city government.
The 33-year old mayor had advocated curbing corruption and old practices in the city of Pasig especially in responding to problems affecting the city government's services.
Last year, Sotto was recognized by United States (US) Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for his contributions towards transparency and anti-corruption.
Blinken mentioned Sotto and his leadership of Pasig City in his speech about US relations with the Indo-pacific region and developing transparency and anti-corruption policies in the Indo-pacific.
He mentioned Pasig City’s transparency and public communication hotline, also known as Ugnayan sa Pasig (UsaP), which he recognizes as a way for community-based organizations to participate in city-spending and resource allocation.
Blinken said Sotto was named an “anti-corruption champion” by the US State Department in February 2021 for toppling a political family and for his achievements towards freedom of information and participatory governance.