After making waves for enacting radical changes to governance in the City of Pasig, Mayor Vico Sotto said the local government is "seeing the fruits of its labor" through successful projects and programs this year. 

In his State of the City Address (SOCA) speech for his second term delivered on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 5, Sotto said they are succeeding in the second phase of these changes in Pasig despite the challenges and problems they are facing everyday. 

"Araw-araw nagkakaroon tayo ng karagdagang momentum. Yung pinagsisikapan, pinaghihirapan natin, nakikita natin, unti-unti, pabilis ng pabilis, we are seeing the fruits of our labor (Every day, we gain forward momentum. We are seeing the fruits of our labor little by little, and faster and faster)," said Sotto. 

He attributed this success in part to the "smoother and more constructive" coordination between the executive and legislative offices, which have been vocally supportive of the mayor's initiatives for the city.

The more successful the first phase, the more is exposed, he noted, such as pervasive aspects of governance like corruption, weaknesses of the institutions, and inefficiency of government processes and mechanisms. 

However, Sotto emphasized that this exposure is a good thing, saying the more they see faults or failures, the more they can be identified and resolved. 

"What's important to me is we're all on the same page when it comes to our framework of change. We have done many things in Pasig from politics to governance that many have told us were impossible. That is what we will keep doing in the following years," he said. 

After the excitement of a fresh start in 2019 for Pasig comes the "less exciting, less headline-worthy," but "nitty gritty part," where the focus is now on strengthening and institutionalizing reforms  in the local government.

Seeing weaknesses that are hindering the institutionalization, "we build, we make it stronger, we build upon what we've started, [and] we go through the process again," Sotto said.

"In this 450th year of the city that we call "Panahon ng Pasigueño," let us continue to work as a team, work as one, strive for excellence while challenging the norms. Let's continue to do the impossible in the City of Pasig," said Sotto. 

Strides in all sectors 

Sotto shared some of the big projects and initiatives accomplished by the city government in 2023 during the SOCA. 

Sotto emphasized the reforms to strengthen and depoliticize the human resources department of the city government. This involved mass regularization programs and increase in salary and incentives. As of Oct. 3, 4,260 personnel are not permanent employees, with 2,845 as casual workers, and 2,025 under the job order status. 

The local government focused on universal healthcare, expansion of health services in the Pasig City Children's Hospital, and the fully operational Mega Dialysis Center, which has accommodated 192 active clients with more than 13,000 hemodialysis treatments from January to July 2023. 

Hundreds of member-beneficiaries of housing projects in the city were also given land certificates. Twenty-two previously acquired real properties (as of September 2023) have also been given their payment of just compensation by the local government. 

Learning and research initiatives in partnership with various educational institutions were offered to teachers to upskill their training and capacities. Annual incentives and monthly allowances were also increased for public school teaching and non-teaching personnel. 

For the local economic sector, its post-Covid 19 recovery plan has seen an increase in new businesses registered in the city from 2,971 in 2022 to 3,050 in 2023. 

The local government also recorded 116 registered cooperatives, majority of which are multi-purpose groups, in 2023. 

He also cited programs in the social welfare sector like the Local Senior Pension that is servicing over 20,000 senior citizens, and improvements to animal welfare and food safety sectors. 

City Council success 

Vice Mayor Robert "Dodot" Jaworski Jr. also delivered a speech, citing the progress and victories of the 11th City Council that has enacted more than 400 pieces of legislation over one and a half years in office. 

“Our Local Government and City Council’s shared vision: To elevate the level of government and transparency. A beacon of light, and a beacon of hope.  A shining example of professionalism, efficiency and competence in local governance," said Jaworski. 

Among the many programs he mentioned, he highlighted the Private Education for the Advancement of Grassroots through Academic Scholarship Assistance (PAG-ASA Scholarship) program as one of the council's great achievements. 

The vice mayor emphasized the council's support for the mayor and vowed to continue serving the public interest and needs of Pasigueños. 

“Ang utang na loob ng taumbayan ay hindi sa kahit na sinong pulitiko, kundi sa kapwa niya Pasigueño na nag-aambag sa pag-asenso ng ating Lungsod (Our citizens owe each other, not any politicians, as each of us contribute to the progress of the city)," he added.  

Power interruption 

An hour into Sotto's SOCA, a power box reportedly overloaded on the side of the stage, which temporarily disabled the venue's screen and sound system, prompting the city officials to leave the stage. 

Members of the Pasig Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) immediately responded. No one was hurt in the incident and the power box was turned over to the BFP. 

After around 15 minutes, Sotto cut his speech short, and delivered his final message on stage using a megaphone, much to the audience's amusement. 

Afterwards, the proposed 2024 Executive Budget worth P17.2 billion was conferred to the City Council. It will undergo hearings and sessions before it is finally approved.