On her first day in office, Quezon City-elect Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday called for unity, asking officials and employees to set aside political differences toward the city’s betterment.
“What I am asking from all of you is unity. There’s only one thing that we all want to do. That is to move forward,” she said in a speech during her first flag-raising ceremony as the city’s 11th mayor.
“Let’s all start the new administration with a happy, joyful heart. Let’s erase the negative feelings, no partisan. We are just one big happy family. Please, if you have any negative thoughts, opinions, keep them to yourself, breathe in, breathe out, after five minutes happy you’ll get happy. Let’s have a wonderful next three years in Quezon City,” she said.
Belmonte thanked her predecessor, Herbert Bautista, for an orderly transition.
She promised the residents of Quezon City her administration will focus on housing, social services, education, and health in her first 100 days in office.
Belmonte stressed that Quezon City, no matter how developed it is, should protect and show care for its indigent residents.
She instructed the restructuring of the Housing, Community Development, and Resettlement Department to resolve concerns in city housing, provide free technical services, and hasten the processes involved in housing.
A new shelter plan will also be crafted that will include guidelines in the selection of beneficiaries, housing program models, and Public-Private Partnerships said the mayor, who was vice mayor to Bautista for three terms.
Belmonte also vowed an increase in burial assistance for indigent citizens from P10,000 to P25,000 and medical assistance from P3,000 to P5,000.
“Provisions for social protection under our city ordinances are assured to be complied and funded to support the city’s most vulnerable sector and expand the number of beneficiaries of the city educational assistance program,” she said.
The mayor also promised the establishment of a Solo Parents Welfare Office, as well as a system to distribute financial assistance to fire victims within three to five days after the validation of social workers.
For education, Belmonte also assured the construction of the Bagbag National Integrated High School in Novaliches.
Quezon City will also enter into public-private partnerships with hospitals per district to provide public school students with free eye, medical, and dental check-ups.
The new mayor gave “deserving” contractual employees, especially those who have served the city government for several years, the assurance of a chance for regularization after going through the personnel selection board.
Belmonte said she would ask the human resource development department to come up with a program in helping employees complete their academic requirements as required by the Civil Service Act.