Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto addressed the following points during the weekly flag-raising ceremony:

00:01- 05:40: Junior City Officials Program

- Mayor Vico greeted the employees from the Local Youth Development Office (LYDO) and the first batch of Junior City Officials of the City Government of Pasig.

- Mayor Vico congratulated and encouraged the 16 Pasigueño youth to do their best during their two-day actual work as Junior City Officials.

- He then acknowledged the City officials, departments, and personnel who attended the flag-raising ceremony, as well as the host offices from the Environmental and Economic Sectors.

- Mayor Vico explained that the Junior City Officials Program is not only implemented in the City of Pasig but also in other local government units, in accordance with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act (Republic Act 10742). He then mentioned that even though the SK Reform Act is relatively new, other local government units are already implementing the Junior Officials Program.

- He then said that the goal is for the City of Pasig to become a breeding ground for the next generation of leaders. He explained that knowledge should not end with those who are currently holding positions or working as national or local government employees. Instead, the City Government of Pasig aims to help in honing the skills and knowledge of the next generation of leaders in the city. Mayor Vico then said that the Junior City Officials Program would help achieve this.

- Mayor Vico then shared that being in the pilot stage of implementation, the deployment period is somewhat short: two-days. He likewise said that since the program is relatively new, only a few applicants applied for the program. He then cited possible reasons for the low number of applicants for the Junior City Officials Program this year.

- He said that the result of the pilot implementation will be studied: everything will be documented and areas for improvement will be identified. Mayor Vico added that for next year, similar to other local government units, the program will be expanded and could last for at least two to four weeks. He also mentioned that one local government unit has implemented a 6-week program for their Junior City Officials.

- Mayor Vico also said that this program serves as an internship that Pasigueño youth, ages 15-18 years old, can include on their resumes, indicating their experience as Junior City Officials. He added that the program could expand to also include shadowing City department/office heads, as well as other key positions in the local government.

- According to Mayor Vico, this program will provide a valuable experience for the Pasigueño youth. He then encouraged the first batch of Junior City Officials to give their best. He also expressed his hopes that it would be a productive experience for them and that they would learn a lot from the program.

- He then explained that implementing such a program is part of the local government's Youth Development interventions. He emphasized that programs for the youth should not be solely about sports leagues or the like, but it can also be about developing and enhancing their skills.

- Mayor Vico likewise said that not only the LYDO and youth development programs of the City Government have improved, but there has also been significant improvement in the SKs in Pasig City. He then shared that the SK Federation of Pasig City, led by Hon. Keil Custillas, has won the Most Outstanding SK Federation award in the entire Philippines.

- Mayor Vico expressed how proud he is and emphasized that the youth are indeed the hope of the nation. He then said that while it is the local government that starts addressing issues and longstanding problems, it is the youth who will ultimately resolve these issues.

- He mentioned that while there are those who try to influence or corrupt SKs, there are SKs in Pasig who are standing up and fighting for good governance, including the SK Federation of Pasig.

- To end his speech, Mayor Vico wished the first batch of Junior City Officials good luck and said that he looked forward to being with them over the next two days.

To watch the full video of the flag-raising ceremony, click this link: https://bit.ly/2024_FlagCeremonyAug19