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

00:01-00:25: Acknowledgment of City officials, departments, personnel, and representatives from national government agencies who attended the flag-raising ceremony.

00:26-01:46: Start of Temporary City Hall Operations

• Mayor Vico announced that starting today, September 16, 2024, the Temporary City Hall will officially begin operations for select transactions.

• He then reminded everyone of the gradual transfer of offices to the Temporary City Hall to avoid overwhelming the City Hall employees and clients.

• Mayor Vico then shared that the services transferred to the Temporary City Hall include: Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) and Real Property Tax (RPT)-related transactions such as assessment and payment; while the rest will remain at the Pasig City Hall Compound and in the two City Hall annexes.

• He advised everyone to regularly check the official Facebook Page of the Public Information Office for more detailed information on the schedule of transfer and list of services. (See post on the list of services for transfer starting September 16, 2024: https://tinyurl.com/TempCityHallSept16)

01:47-02:12: Mayor Vico acknowledged that the transfer to the Temporary City Hall to give way for the Redevelopment Project, is quite challenging, considering the inconvenience it could cause to both the transacting public and the City Hall employees who are handling the transfer and inventory themselves. He expressed his hope that everyone is on the same page and understands the purpose behind the City Government of Pasig’s Redevelopment Project.

02:13-03:16: He then reminded everyone of the rationale of the Redevelopment Project – the structural issues with the City Hall Building, which can be attested by the Office of the Building Official. He also said that the City Hall building failed in mere visual inspections and shared that even non-engineers and non-architects can see these structural issues via visual tests. He further explained by pinpointing areas within the City Hall Building that have been tagged as red flags by City engineers.

03:17-04:02: Mayor Vico emphasized that public safety and people’s lives are the top priority/major consideration for pushing for the Redevelopment Project. He then shared that the employees working in offices where cracks are large and apparent are those who are most looking forward to the transfer to the Temporary City Hall and the Redevelopment Project, urging the City Government to commence the transfer as soon as possible.

04:03-04:36: Mayor Vico reiterated the undeniable complexity of implementing projects as big as the Redevelopment Project alone, but adding to this challenge is the proliferation of fake news and disinformation. He added that some would spend huge amounts of money to spread fake news to damage the administration’s image. Mayor Vico again mentioned that however challenging it may seem, people’s lives are on the line, so it is something that should be pursued.

04:37-05:46: He then highlighted that since the City Government of Pasig decided to embark on the Redevelopment Project, given that retrofitting was no longer a viable and sustainable option, we might as well future-proof it so that it can still be used for the long term, rather than short term. He emphasized the importance of executing this once-in-a-lifetime project properly, which is good for 100 years, and reminded everyone not to get used to the usual government practice of implementing half-baked projects just for show. He stated that the Redevelopment Project will provide a more spacious City Hall, from 28,000 sqm to 40,000 sqm., without dead spaces as much as possible.

05:47-06:05: Mayor Vico shared the positive outcomes of the Redevelopment Project, especially in terms of long-term economic value, local economy, and local economic stimulation. He also explained that with the foregoing Redevelopment Project, the land value of the area where the current City Hall stands will eventually rise.

06:06-06:41: He then shared the presence of several dead spaces in the City Hall premises that are not maximized enough. Mayor Vico cited several areas in the compound where there are areas that are not maximed, such as those in the areas of the Pasig City Anti-Drug Abuse Office and the Old BIR Compound.

06:42-07:36: Mayor Vico then reiterated that the project considered people’s safety and its long-term effects on the local economy and assured that this will be beneficial for Pasigueños for years to come. He added that this Redevelopment Project will have a multiplier effect. He also clarified that the resources used for the project are derived from the City’s savings, so no programs, projects, or activities will be affected. He said that Pasigueños would soon come to realize that the City Government of Pasig made the right decision to implement the Redevelopment Project.

07:37-08:05: Mayor Vico thanked the offices for their sacrifices and assured them that those will bear fruit soon.

08:06-08:26: He also congratulated the Pasig City Symphonic Band for celebrating their 23rd Anniversary. He praised the Band’s continuously improving performances and expressed that he is proud that the band has been playing not only within Pasig City but also in other places and other local government units.

08:27-08:31: Mayor Vico concluded his speech by extending his thanks to everyone who attended the ceremony.

To watch the full video of the flag-raising ceremony, click this link: