Marikina City Mayor Maan Teodoro on Thursday, June 25, reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to integrity and accountability, declaring that corruption, abuse, and complacency have no place in local governance.

Teodoro made the remarks during her first State of the City Address (SOCA), where she said that while dedicated public servants deserve recognition, government accountability must also be upheld.

She said the city recognizes employees who perform their duties well and serve the public with honesty, but stressed that her administration will not tolerate misconduct in the local government.

“Pinapahalagahan natin at kinikilala ang mga empleyadong nagtatrabaho nang mahusay, tapat, at may malasakit sa mamamayan (We value and recognize employees who perform their duties well, with honesty and concern for the public),” she said.

“Ngunit malinaw din ang ating paninindigan: walang puwang sa pamahalaang ito ang katamaran, pang-aabuso, at anumang uri ng katiwalian (But our position is clear: there is no place in this administration for laziness, abuse, and any form of corruption),” the mayor added.

The mayor said her administration spent the past year addressing irregular practices and going after those who have taken advantage of the system. She stressed that no one is above the law and that those who have done wrong will be held accountable, whoever they are.

“Malinaw ang ating mensahe: walang kakilala, walang palakasan, at walang sinuman ang higit sa batas (Our message is clear: there are no special favors, no preferential treatment, and no one is above the law),” the mayor said.

During her SOCA, Teodoro also highlighted programs and initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, education, business and economic development, and flood mitigation in the city.

The mayor said the local government is expanding its free healthcare services for residents through improvements to the Marikina Multispecialty Clinics. The facility offers consultations with specialists, including a cardiologist, ophthalmologist, surgeon, developmental pediatrician, mental health specialist, OB-Gyn, and oncologist.

She also highlighted the development of the Marikina Autism Care and Development Center and the city's CT Scan facility, which is expected to begin providing MRI services to patients soon.

For education, Teodoro said the city continues to implement the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program to help address learning gaps and support learning recovery through literacy interventions, teacher support, school-based remediation, and community participation.

She added that the city has also hired and promoted more teachers as part of efforts to strengthen the quality of education for students.

The planned construction of the Marikina Institute of Skills Development and Technology in Barangay Tumana was also announced. The facility is expected to serve as the city's premier technical and vocational education and training (TVET) hub.

For business development, the local government will launch the Alagang Marikina App, an integrated digital platform that will enable residents to apply for and renew business permits, process building permits, zoning clearances, and occupancy permits, among its other services.

The mayor said the initiative is intended to make it easier to do business in Marikina through digital-first approaches.

The administration will also continue providing tax exemptions and amnesties for micro-enterprises and support small businesses.

To further reduce flooding in the city, the local government continues to work with the national government in implementing the Marikina Integrated Flood-Free Roadmap.

The roadmap includes dredging, declogging, drainage modernization, river management, environmental rehabilitation, and urban planning under the Whole-of-System Flood Mitigation Framework.

Plans for the Marikina River Esplanade were also highlighted during the SOCA. The project is expected to transform the long stretch of the riverbank into a multi-use area with pocket parks, jogging paths, bike lanes, and other community spaces.

The city is also set to roll out several new projects, including the Marikina Geriatric Care Center, the Marikina Active Transport Park, the Marikina Alaga Express Mobile Clinic, and the Marikina Animal Rescue and Shelter.