Mayor Joy Belmonte delivering her SOCA before QC LGU and barangay officials on the occasion of 85th QC founding anniversary.
MANILA, Philippines – On Quezon City’s 85th founding anniversary, Mayor Joy Belmonte delivered a powerful State of City Affairs (SOCA) address, emphasizing her administration’s commitment to prioritizing social services.
In her hour-and-a-half speech, the Mayor announced a significant allocation of more than 50 percent of the total 2024 budget of ₱39.1 billion towards social welfare programs. This ensures that the city’s most vulnerable residents receive essential support.
Mayor Joy Belmonte at the rostrum of the new MICE convention center
She also addressed ongoing projects aimed at improving public infrastructure, reinforcing sustainable development commitments, and tackling climate change. Initiatives aimed at enhancing green spaces, efficient waste management systems, and disaster preparedness were highlighted as essential steps towards making Quezon City more resilient.
Mayor Belmonte also highlighted that the LGU received over 300 awards this year, reaffirming its position as an exemplary governance model. With outstanding financial management, it achieved four consecutive unqualified opinions from the Commission on Audit (COA). Moreover, Quezon City secured first place in local source revenue collections, underscoring its fiscal responsibility and effective resource generation from 2022-2023.
READ: QC Mayor Belmonte among Forbes’ 50 Sustainability Leaders
Acknowledging its business-friendly initiatives, Quezon City emerged as the “Most Business-Friendly LGU 2023-2024,” alongside recognition as the Overall Most Competitive LGU for four consecutive years. Innovations such as fully automated online services have transformed city transactions. This allows residents to process their mayor’s permits and license renewals in just minutes through the QC BIZ Easy platform.
In her address, Mayor Belmonte announced the issuance of approximately 1,175,738 QCitizen IDs. These IDs grant access to various services and benefits available throughout the city. The Mayor detailed remarkable achievements across in livelihood, education, healthcare, housing, infrastructure, climate change response, peace and order, and inclusivity.
Mayor Joy Belmonte speaks in her one-and-a-half hour SOCA address
The successful Pangkabuhayan has helped 60,000 local businessmen with P624M released in the past year. This year, another 6,815 entrepreneurs will receive seed funding of P73M for their small businesses, an increase of 28 percent from last year. . So far, 96.9 percent of these small businesses have survived and some are expanding branches in Metro Manila.
In education, the city has provided over 9,655 laptops to teachers, 309,054 tablets to students, and equipped classrooms with smart TVs. Furthermore, out of its total of 31,121 scholars, around 11,330 have successfully graduated. Also, around 695 high-speed internet connections were installed in all city public high schools. Another milestone was the establishment of an integrated online library, the first in the country. She also pushed for a zero-illiteracy program where 1,272 students received specialized tutoring.
In health care, its QC Cares (Health information system) allows citizens to access medical services including medicines in 3 city hospitals, 52 health centers, and 21 specialized clinics. A total of 79 doctors were employed to attend to the medical needs of all patients city-wide.
Around 156,000 non-elderly and senior citizens were provided with maintenance medications, up 18 percent from last year. Belmonte announced that 332,522 senior citizens will receive free-of-charge pneumonia and flu vaccines starting in January next year.
Housing-wise, 27,887 families were awarded permanent residences in just five years. Recently, the LGU bought 2,669 units from Urban Deca Homes for distribution to qualified QCitizens. An additional 51,712 square meters of acquired land will be allotted to 844 families.
In crime prevention, Belmonte said Project Aurora will deploy 3,000 CCTV cameras across the city. It will synch these with those owned by the government and private sector including 1,355 street lights to ensure 100 percent coverage of the city’s streets. She challenged QCPD to achieve her vision of zero criminality in the coming years.
Another eight electric buses will reinforce the city’s very successful “ Libreng Sakay program” (Free Rides) , which has helped hundreds of thousands of QCitizens for the past years. Belmonte stressed that carbon free “electric vehicles” will soon be the norm in daily commute within the city.
Meanwhile, Belmonte’s mobile caravans already served 1.8 million citizens in all of its six districts. A total of 610 district caravans since the beginning of her term, were implemented by six district managers every week throughout the city. In each caravan, city hall services were brought directly to the people.
Mayor Belmonte emphasized her commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Quezon City residents. “ As we celebrate our city’s rich history and vibrant community, let us remember that our greatest strength lies in our unity and shared vision for a better future. “By prioritizing social services and fostering an environment conducive to growth, innovation, and inclusivity, we can ensure that every citizen benefits from the achievements of our beloved Quezon City.”
Belmonte concluded her address with a call to action. She urged citizens to continue to work hand in hand to build a city where everyone feels valued and included. In addition, opportunities are accessible to all.
She expressed gratitude to the Quezon city council, the six congressmen, the barangay officials, and the city officials for working together towards a brighter, sustainable future.
With her dynamic leadership and forward-thinking policies, Mayor Joy Belmonte, who is all set to achieve her third and final term next year, remains dedicated to steering Quezon City toward an era of improved social services and lasting prosperity.