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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider From Metro Manila to the nation: A double mandate for progress

From Metro Manila to the nation: A double mandate for progress

Published Sep 5, 2025 12:05 am  |  Updated Sep 4, 2025 05:56 pm
METRO MATTERS
Some call August a “ghost month.” For me, it marked a clear affirmation of trust. I was honored to receive a strong mandate — not once, but twice. First, from my fellow mayors of Metro Manila and second, from my fellow city mayors across the Philippines.
In quick succession, I was re-elected as President of the Metro Manila Council composed of the 17 local government units in Metro Manila and the MMDA. I was then elected as National President of the League of Cities of the Philippines composed of the 149 city mayors of the country. For both positions, I will be serving from 2025 to 2028. These are responsibilities I accept with clarity, urgency, and resolve.
To my fellow Metro Manila mayors, thank you for your renewed confidence. We stood together through the hardest days of the pandemic. That unity must now drive our next chapter of progress. Our mission is clear: vastly improve flooding mitigation, enhance solid waste management, strengthen disaster resilience, modernize traffic systems, expand inclusive services, and uphold transparency and accountability in every decision we make.
Today, Metro Manila’s challenges are urgent and complex. In my new mandate, MMC will make more use of innovative technologies and data-driven coordination among cities, align protocols to speed up services, and protect what matters most: our people and the progress of our region.
To my fellow city mayors across the nation, thank you for the trust and confidence. To our immediate past president Mayor Joy Belmonte and the outgoing National Executive Board, your leadership laid a solid foundation that we can build on. To the newly elected NEB, the work begins now. To President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, your full support empowers local government units to be the best we can possibly be.
As national president, I will lead the League as what it truly is — a family of 149 cities, united by common goals and collective action.
Our agenda will be grounded, focused, and built to deliver.
We will bring the LCP closer to every region. Through the LCP Caravan, we will exchange real solutions, share best practices, and amplify what works — especially programs that reach barangays and households.
We will be a reliable bridge to national agencies. I will bring our shared priorities to the DILG, the Cabinet, and the President — ensuring local voices are heard by those who make decisions.
Our mandate for 2025–2028 is nation-building through the sharing of best practices, the fostering of civic engagement, the cultivation of economic growth and sustainability, the strengthening of government institutions and the promotion of national unity.
As I begin this mandate, my vision is clear. I want the Metro Manila Council and the League of Cities of the Philippines to function as one united family of city leaders. A family where no city is left behind, and every mayor finds strength, knowledge, and purpose through collaboration. We will anchor our work on honesty and integrity. These values will not be optional — they will define who we are and how we lead.
For the double mandate you have entrusted me with, I commit to delivering not just double the effort, but results that reflect the full weight of your trust.
We are one Council and one League, united by a shared duty to millions of Filipinos. Let us honor the trust placed in us with action that delivers, leadership that inspires, and outcomes our people can truly feel.
Mabuhay ang League of Cities of the Philippines. Mabuhay ang Metro Manila. Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino.
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