QUEZON CITY — Mayor Joy Belmonte unveiled a proposed ₱48.5-billion budget for 2027 during her eighth State of the City Address (SOCA) on Monday, October 19, at the M.I.C.E. Center Theater, where she reaffirmed her dedication to realizing former President Manuel L. Quezon’s “City of Man” vision.
Reflecting on Quezon’s original dream of building an inclusive capital featuring expansive green spaces, government institutions, and affordable housing, Belmonte noted how historical conflicts and rapid urbanization left that vision incomplete.
“Today, we live within the remnants of that unfulfilled vision,” she said.
“But within this imperfect city, we still dare to imagine a better home. We are knitting together the fractured pieces of our past into one strong, compassionate city,” she added.
Highlighting the city’s robust financial health, Belmonte reported that the proposed ₱48.5-billion outlay for next year follows a ₱45.5-billion budget in 2026, nearly 54 percent of which was dedicated to core social services.
She proudly noted that the local government maintained its debt-free status and refrained from levying new taxes, with locally sourced revenues surging from ₱19.3 billion in 2019 to ₱28.4 billion in 2025.
”Consistent with the previous years, we have done this nang hindi nagtataas o nagpapataw ng dagdag na buwis. Higit pa rito, sa ilalim ng ating administrasyon, wala pong utang ang Lungsod Quezon,” Belmonte stated.
”Hindi sapat ang malinis na record lang. Ang pinagsisikapan nating gawin, ibalik sa taumbayan ang pinagsama-sama nilang ambag sa pamamagitan ng maayos, makatao, at napapanahong mga programa,” she added.
Belmonte also detailed key accomplishments in housing and social welfare, noting that over 34,000 families have benefited from security-of-tenure programs since 2019. The local government expects to turn over more than 1,000 housing units in Barangay Commonwealth before the end of 2026, while prioritizing over 5,000 informal settler families in danger zones.
”Ang paniniwala natin, kung dito ka ipinanganak, nagkamalay at bumuo ng buhay, dapat may karapatan kang manatili at patuloy na mangarap dito sa QC,” she emphasized.
Other highlights of her address included plans to boost public school teachers’ monthly supplemental allowances from ₱1,500 to ₱2,000 by 2027, the rollout of expansive healthcare initiatives, and the digitization of 263 government services via the QC E-Services portal.
Concluding her address, Belmonte appealed to residents to safeguard the city’s hard-earned progress.
”Kaya’t ang pakiusap ko po sa bawat isa sa inyo: huwag nating sayangin ang ating mga naipundar. Huwag nating hayaang bumalik ang ating lungsod sa panahon ng kapabayaan, pabor-pabor, at pira-pirasong plano,” she urged.
”Let us protect our achievements and continue building a Quezon City where development is accompanied by justice and every citizen lives with genuine dignity,” she concluded.