Leadership is tested not in stable times, but in moments of disruption.

Today, we are facing a global reality that directly affects the daily lives of Filipinos. Rising fuel prices, driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East, are putting pressure on transportation, on household budgets, and on the overall cost of living. These are not distant issues. They are felt every day by workers, commuters, and families across the country.

In San Juan, we have chosen to respond with action.

Last March 17, we became the first city in the Philippines to roll out cash assistance for tricycle drivers under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. A total of 621 members of our Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations received direct financial support amounting to ₱5,000 each through this initiative.

This program was made possible through the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in coordination with Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Department of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez. After the rollout in San Juan, the program proceeded to Manila for the next payout, attended by President Marcos himself, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, demonstrating a clear and structured national effort that will soon extend to other parts of the Philippines.

Just six days before the rollout, March 11, we met in Malacañang, with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, together with Secretary Gatchalian, Secretary Lopez, LTFRB Chairman Vigor Mendoza, and our Metro Manila mayors to plan for the financial assistance distribution. As president of the Metro Manila Council, I took an active role in ensuring that the consolidation and validation of beneficiary lists were done quickly but more importantly, were done right.

We did not simply submit names. Each LGU maintains its own Tricycle Regulatory Board, which allowed us to check duplicate entries, confirm that beneficiaries are still alive, and ensure that they are still active drivers who continue to operate daily. This level of validation was critical in guaranteeing that assistance reaches the rightful recipients and that no public funds are wasted or misallocated.

Our tricycle drivers are among the most vulnerable to fuel price increases. Every peso added to fuel costs directly reduces their daily income. This assistance provides immediate relief, but more importantly, it affirms that government recognizes their role in keeping our cities moving.

This initiative is only the beginning. The program will expand to include jeepney drivers, TNVS drivers, UV Express drivers, and bus drivers, not only in Metro Manila, but in different parts of the country.

At the same time, we recognize that relief alone is not enough. We must also reduce the pressures that drive these costs.

That is why the City Government of San Juan has implemented a four-day onsite workweek as part of our broader energy conservation strategy. Under Administrative Order No. FMZ-075, we transitioned to a Monday to Thursday onsite schedule in City Hall, with work-from-home arrangements every Friday for vital offices. Departments that require full onsite operations remain open through a skeletal work force, to ensure that public services are not disrupted and compromised. This policy strikes a balance between saving energy and maintaining efficient government service—tasks that can be done from home are done from home, without compromising service delivery. At the same time, we have ensured that our hospitals, health centers, disaster response units, traffic and public safety offices, and other frontline services continue to operate onsite without interruption.

This policy is aligned with Memorandum Circular No. 114 issued by the Office of the President, which directs all government agencies to adopt energy-saving measures in response to global fuel volatility.

This is not a symbolic change. It is a strategic one.

By reducing onsite operations, we are lowering electricity consumption in government facilities and cutting fuel use from daily commutes. It also encourages more efficient use of transportation by maximizing each trip to accomplish multiple tasks.

As president of the Metro Manila Council, I worked closely with fellow mayors to stagger implementation. While San Juan and most NCR local government units observe their work-from-home day on Fridays, Quezon City has chosen Mondays. This deliberate approach helps reduce the volume of vehicles two days in every week.

The result is a more efficient use of our roads and more time returned to our citizens.

These two initiatives, direct financial assistance and structural reform, are part of a single approach: To respond to today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow.

We cannot control global fuel prices. But we can control how we respond.

We can provide immediate support to those most affected. We can reduce unnecessary consumption. We can redesign systems to be more efficient, more resilient, and more responsive to the needs of our people.

This is the direction we are taking in our Makabagong San Juan administration.

As National president of the League of Cities of the Philippines and President of the Metro Manila Council, it is my duty and responsibility to bridge local government units with the national government and vice versa, to ensure that national programs reach all Filipinos nationwide.

During our recent League of Cities of the Philippines National Executive Board Meeting and Visayas Cluster Consultation held in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, I relayed these national government initiatives, including both the financial assistance program and the four-day workweek policy to our fellow city mayors.

Because leadership today is not just about managing our own cities, it is about strengthening collaboration, driving coordination, and making sure that no local government is left behind.

To our fellow local government leaders across the country, this moment calls for both urgency and responsibility. The resources entrusted to us must translate into real, measurable impact. Our policies must not only respond to crises but anticipate them.

And to our fellow Filipinos, we want you to know that your government is not standing still. We are adapting. We are acting. And we are committed to ensuring that even in uncertain times, no Filipino will be left behind.