Flag Raising Ceremony Highlights | February 17, 2025

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

00:01-00:20: Acknowledgment of City officials, departments, personnel, and representatives from national government agencies who attended the flag-raising ceremony, in particular offices from the Institutional Sector and the Management Information Systems Office (MISO) as the host office.

00:21-02:16: Temporary Facility of the Pasig City Health Department at the Pasig City Sports Center

- Mayor Vico commended the joint efforts of various offices, particularly the Office of the City Administrator, the City Engineering Office, MISO, and the City Health Department (CHD). Most of CHD’s facilities are now housed at the Pasig City Sports Center, serving as their temporary headquarters. This transfer was made possible through the coordinated efforts of these offices.

- Mayor Vico acknowledged some challenges encountered during the transition. He noted that the internet connection had been intermittent and tasked MISO with reassessing and improving the internet access in the temporary facility.

- Despite these challenges, Mayor Vico congratulated everyone on the successful transfer, highlighting the systematic and orderly setup of the temporary facility. He reassured everyone that these arrangements would be beneficial for everyone, including the future generation of Pasigueños

- Additionally, he mentioned that the Office of General Services is currently conducting an inventory of items from the Old Pasig City Hall in Brgy. San Nicolas.

02:17-05:51: Amendments to the Centenarians Ordinance of 2024

- Mayor Vico discussed the amendments to the Centenarian Incentive program of the local government, expanding it to include octogenarians and nonagenarians. This initiative was led by Councilor Pao Santiago, Chair of the Committee on Senior Citizens, Retirees, and Veterans’ Affairs, co-authored with Councilor Simon Tantoco.

- Mayor Vico acknowledged complications that arose during the initial planning for the implementation of the program, which prompted improvements to the city ordinance. He announced the push to extend benefits to senior citizens aged between 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100, formally recognizing them as beneficiaries under the expanded incentive program.

- Mayor Vico advised residents to wait for the official announcement from the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, which will be disseminated through the Public Information Office. He emphasized that the ordinance is still in the finalization stages but assured proper implementation once completed.

- Additionally, Mayor Vico gently reminded senior citizens availing of their benefits or payouts to arrive only at their scheduled times. He stressed that the scheduling system was put in place for efficiency and convenience.

05:52- 07:43: Expansion of the Local Senior Pension Program 

- He also announced the upcoming expansion of the Local Senior Pension (LSP) Program. The primary challenge in this expansion, he explained, is data sharing with the Social Security System (SSS), as retirees receiving SSS pensions will now be included in the LSP. (In the proposed expansion, a cut-off amount on the pension being received from SSS for inclusion in the LSP Program is being looked into.)

- To address this, Mayor Vico assured that efforts are being made to implement proper data-sharing procedures. A committee hearing, led by Councilor Pao Santiago and attended by SSS officials, has been recently conducted. The remaining step is to finalize and sign a Memorandum of Agreement / Data Sharing Agreement with the social insurance institution. He expressed his gratitude to the SSS for expediting the process to ensure proper implementation.

- Mayor Vico reiterated to wait for further announcements from the Pasig City Public Information Office regarding these developments.

07:44-07:49: Mayor Vico concluded his speech by extending his thanks and blessings to everyone who attended the ceremony.

To watch the full video of the flag-raising ceremony, click this link: https://bit.ly/2025_FlagCeremonyFeb17