Manila Mayor Francisco ”Isko Moreno” Domagoso called out the previous administration's rampant mismanagement, corruption, and inefficiency and vowed to restore integrity and responsive governance in the nation's capital during his fiery State of the City Address (SOCA) on Tuesday, July 1.

Domagoso described the administration of public funds in the 5th District of Manila as a blatant misuse, where a government structure was allegedly built right in the middle of a public road.

He called the project an act of “technical malversation,” questioning how such a development could have been approved.

“Nasisira na ba ulo niyo (Are you out of your minds?),” the mayor said.

He emphasized that while the city welcomes infrastructure development, it must be done responsibly and in a way that truly benefits the people.

Domagoso also warned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the City Planning and Zoning Department against issuing permits without proper coordination.

He questioned the City Council’s actions in allowing a congressman to use city-owned land without a proper Memorandum of Understanding.

“Konseho ng Manila, bakit kayo nagpapagamit ng lupain ng lungsod ng Manila sa congressman na wala namang kayong MOU or Memorandum of Understanding? Aren't you required to do so? (Why did you allow it? You are supposed to be the stewards of Manila’s property, not the congressman),” he said. 

The mayor’s frustration continued as he discussed the city’s garbage collection crisis.

He revealed that 2,000 metric tons of trash were cleared in just one day.

He lauded the emergency operation led by the city government and private partners.

He slammed waste contractors for failing to do their jobs while enjoying luxuries.

“Nandyan ang truck. Nandyan ang DPS. May kontrata kayo (You had trucks. You had the DPS. You had contracts),” he said.

“Nasaan kayo? Nasa Manila Hotel nagla-lunch? (Why weren’t the trash collected? Where were you? Having lunch at the Manila Hotel?)”

He acknowledged the help of the Disaster Risk Reduction Office, Department of Social Welfare, and Leonel Waste Management, which hauled trash at no cost for a day.

However, he reminded everyone that this was not a permanent solution. 

To address the crisis, Domagoso urged the City Council to convene and declare a state of public health emergency.

This declaration, he said, would allow the local government to expedite the clearing of trash from streets and avert serious health risks to vulnerable residents, including children and the elderly.

Domagoso also announced that he is submitting a General Tax Amnesty proposal to ease the burden on residents and businesses.

He described the experience of taxpayers as exploitative, saying they were treated like cattle being milked.

“Ginawa po silang bakahan. Alam niyo po ba ang ibig sabihin ng bakahan? Ang baka ginagatasan. Mas gusto nilang mali ang taxpayer para patuloy na madala sila sa farm (Do you know what ‘bakahan’ means? It’s when people treat taxpayers like cows to be milked. They want taxpayers to make mistakes just so they can keep dragging them into the office and extract money from them).”

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ease of doing business, pledging to strengthen the city’s electronic business one-stop shop (eBOSS) and eliminate bureaucratic red tape.

Domagoso condemned previous housing programs that he said misled the public with claims of “rent-to-own” options that had no legal basis.

”Kung di nyo pa naman binobola yung taong bayan, wala namang kayong titulo sa condominium, pa'no magiging rent to own yun? How can it be rent-to-own? Did you see the individual title? (You’re fooling the people. How can it be rent-to-own when there are no individual titles? You haven’t even approved the subdivision plan).”

He explained that the original intent of Manila’s vertical housing projects was to uplift the lives of poor families, not to sell property.

“Hindi po totoo yun. Bakit? Yung programa puno yan, isa lang ang titulo, yung lupa (It's not true. Why? Because it was not designed that way. It was designed to bring dignity to those who cannot afford even a cheap apartment),” he said. 

Domagoso laid out a long-term development plan aimed at addressing core urban problems.

He announced major projects to improve drainage and flood control, underground cabling to eliminate spaghetti wires, and enhance public spaces and transportation systems.

He also committed to revive stalled infrastructure projects, including school buildings, the redevelopment of Plaza Azul, and the rehabilitation of the Lawton Underpass to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow.

Among his key priorities is continuing the city’s in-city vertical housing initiative.

He mentioned the construction of a 15-story housing building in Binondo and a renewed focus on affordable housing.

He also committed to investing in healthcare and education infrastructure. Domagoso announced plans to build the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila-College of Medicine within the old Ospital ng Manila compound and accelerate the delayed construction of Magsaysay High School in Sampaloc.

The mayor introduced a “One Classroom, One Smart TV” program to equip every public school classroom in Manila with internet-ready high-definition televisions.

Toward the end of his address, Domagoso called for unity, discipline, and public participation.

He said he is not blaming past officials but is committed to investigating wrongdoing and holding accountable those responsible for corruption.

”Again, I am not blaming anyone. I am not. I just wanted to know, sino talaga ang gumawa, sino ang may gawa, sino ang kasapakat (I just wanted to know, who really did it, who was responsible, who were the accomplices) and so on and so forth. Then it stops there.”

He ended his speech with a message of renewed hope and governance.

“Sa lahat ng kababayan natin rito sa Lungsod ng Manila, residente man kayo, o dito naghanap buhay, pansamantalang nag-aaral, o may pangmatagalang negosyo, o kahit nakikiraan lang kayo, ito po ang mensahe ko sa inyo: may gobyerno na muli sa Lungsod ng Manila 24/7 (To all residents, workers, students, businessmen, even passersby in Manila: there is a functioning government again in Manila, 24/7),” he said.