MANILA, Philippines – The National Capital Region welcomed a new set of leaders the same day that the Philippines formalized the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Out of the 17 mayors in Metro Manila, nine are on their first term, but none of them are political neophytes, having served in other elective posts in the past.

Four mayors are on their second term, and four others are term-limited by 2025.

Rappler lists down the top priorities of the mayors of the six most populous cities in the metropolis.

Joy Belmonte, Quezon City

Mayor Joy Belmonte won her reelection bid with a decisive 200,000-vote lead against her fierce opponent, former congressman Michael Defensor.

For her second term, Belmonte shared a five-point agenda, based on her inaugural speech on June 29:

• Improved social services: supplemental aid for displaced workers, monthly financial assistance for vulnerable residents, construction of local hospital in the 6th District, scholarships to 20,000 students by December 2022
• Ease of doing business: Livelihood generation, financial assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs, financial grants to startups
• Sustainable environmental conservation efforts: Rehabilitation of parks, green pedestrian walkways, redevelopment of Quezon Memorial Circle, tree planting around bus stops and train stations, programs that are “responsive to the global issue of climate change”
• Infrastructure projects: Renovation of Amoranto Sports Complex and Balintwak Market; revitalization of tourist sites, such as the Quezon Heritage House, the QCX Museum, and the Katipunan trail
• Internal housekeeping

Honey Lacuna, Manila

Honey Lacuna, a public servant for nearly three decades, is no stranger to city hall work, having served as in-house physician, councilor, and vice mayor before. But this is the first time she will be in the driver’s seat as the Philippine capital’s number one.

She made the following promises in her inaugural speech on June 29:

• Proper government spending
• Construction of health facilities
• Continued social services for elderly, PWDs, solo parents, students and teachers, police force, and government employees

Dale ‘Along’ Malapitan, Caloocan

The Malapitan rule in Caloocan continues after residents elected Oca’s son Dale “Along” Malapitan, triumphing over closest opponent, Egay Erice.

On June 30, the younger Malapitan detailed his vision for the region’s second biggest city:

• Push for an ordinance granting birthday cash gift to senior citizens
• Improve city’s disaster response by placing fire trucks in strategic locations
• Speed up business payment transactions in the city
• Boost crackdown on drug pushers
• Improve services of health centers
• Finish the construction of a new justice hall and the Bagong Silang campus of the University of Caloocan City; build a third district campus of UCC
• Fix garbage disposal problem

Lani Cayetano, Taguig

Lani Cayetano returned to Taguig city hall’s seat of power after a brief stint in the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2022.

In broad strokes, she told residents in her inaugural speech on June 30 that she sought to:

• Improve health programs of her predecessor and brother-in-law Lino Cayetano
• Revisit the city’s business policies
• Ensure public order and safety
• Continue programs on poverty alleviation, education, youth, medical services, environmental protection, and tourism
• Promote faith-based values-oriented leadership, “ensuring that all Taguig employees continue to serve Taguigeños with honesty and Integrity,” based on the first executive order she signed

Vico Sotto, Pasig

Vico Sotto crushed his only rival in the mayoral race in May, getting 88% of the total number of votes. After his oath-taking on June 30, the massively popular local chief executive delivered his state of the city address two days later, touting his administration’s achievements, and detailing the path forward for Pasig.

• Education: Increase number of local government scholarships, improve city library, renovate Pasig Museum
• Housing: Target zero informal settlers in Pasig “within this decade”
• Health: Be one of the first LGUs in the country to implement universal health care, convert Pasig City Children’s Hospital into a general hospital to accommodate more patients, continue digitization of health records
• Business: Implement Pasig City Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, empower informal economies, be “recognized” as among the most business-friendly cities
• Continue to improve quality of human resources in the city government
• Achieve zero job-order city hall workers in the future
• Find more avenues for civil society partners to participate in local governance

Wes Gatchalian, Valenzuela

Wes Gatchalian succeeded his brother Rex for the mayoral post in Valenzuela. In his inaugural speech on June 29, Gatchalian promised the following:

• Continue the Education 360° Investment Program, which “focuses on all aspects of student’s learning“
• Beef up the city’s wellness and sports program for athletes
• Construct open spaces, and spaces for events and eco-tourism
• Boost public housing projects and and continue in-city resettlement project

All 17 mayors of NCR will be part of the Metro Manila Council, the policy-making body of the region. – Rappler.com