Mayor Joy vows to expand social services, good governance in 7th SOCA

Mayor Joy Belmonte delivered her 7th State of the City Address (SOCA) on Monday, Oct. 27, at the M.I.C.E. Convention Center, Quezon City Hall with a vow to sustain good governance, strengthen digitalization, and expand social welfare programs.

- By ALLYSA NIEVERA

Belmonte highlighted Quezon City's progress as a leader in innovation, fiscal management, and people-centered governance, reaffirming her administration's commitment to transparency and accountability.

"Sinulat natin ang ating panungkulan sa transparency, (we started our service with transparency)" she said, recalling her first executive order in 2019 which institutionalized the Freedom of Information mechanism in local governance.

"With these first acts, we stepped into the edge of light, moving beyond our fear of the unknown so we can refine our city's future," she said.

Belmonte reported that Quezon City will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the Most Business-Friendly LGU in the Philippines, having topped local revenue generation from 2020 to 2024.

This recognition, she said, reflects the city's sound fiscal management and effective tax collection, with P20.8 billion already collected from January to October this year — higher than the P18.8 billion recorded in the same period last year.