San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora was elected the new president of the Metro Manila Council during the group’s joint meeting with the Regional Development Council (RDC) on Saturday night.
Zamora was also selected as the vice chairperson for the RDC during the session.
Zamora thanked the MMC, Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Romano Artes, and his fellow National Capital Region mayors during the session held in San Juan City.
In attendance were Pateros Mayor Mike Ponce III, Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian, Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin Abalos Sr., Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna, Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Ng-Sandoval, and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose “Jerry” Acuzar.
While Zamora admitted disagreements may be inevitable as the region has a diverse roster of leaders, he assured he will do his best to unite them.
“In my first term as mayor, we all experienced the (COVID-19) pandemic, and I saw how important it is that the 17 mayors of Metro Manila are united,” he said. “Sometimes, it is possible that we have disagreements, but it’s different if we have one voice and one decision.”
Among the pressing issues the San Juan mayor promised to resolve is the traffic in the metropolis.
“Our lives are returning to normal. Which means our citizens will start going out, and thus we need to make measures to solve traffic in Metro Manila,” he said.
Peace and order will be a top priority, Zamora said, as he will announce his other plans for the region in the coming days.