President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso met at Malacañan Palace to strengthen cooperation between the national and local governments in carrying out key projects that aim to boost infrastructure, urban development, and social welfare services in the country’s capital.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the two officials discussed ongoing and planned legacy projects across Metro Manila, including major works in housing, bridges, transportation, and city redevelopment.
Marcos assured Domagoso that several vital infrastructure initiatives will be given priority, such as the North and South Harbor Bridge, the retrofitting of the Lambingan Bridge, and the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
The President also pushed for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) pipe-laying project in Pandacan, designed to enhance the area’s water supply infrastructure and improve access for residents.
“Other priority initiatives of President Marcos where the cooperation of the Manila city government will be vital include the Greater Metro Manila Waterways Cleaning and Clearing Operations, and the Bayanihan sa Estero Program,” the PCO noted.
Marcos and Domagoso also agreed to improve monitoring and transparency in infrastructure projects and to reach out to street-dwelling families to ensure their inclusion in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and other Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assistance programs.
They also tackled the need to strengthen public information drives to raise awareness about national programs such as the National Immunization Program and the Philippine National ID registration.
The meeting came a day after Marcos and Domagoso both attended the launch of the DSWD’s Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL) Project at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.
It can be recalled that the two leaders were rivals during the 2022 presidential elections, where Marcos won by a wide margin of around 32 million votes, while Domagoso received just under 2 million.