Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto debunked viral social media claims that the city recorded a ₱3-billion surplus, clarifying that while the city has indeed saved funds, such “savings” should not be mistaken as a government accomplishment.
“The P3B ‘surplus’ posts are not accurate… I appreciate the posts and all of the kind words, but let’s clarify… At kunin na rin natin ang pagkakataon para pag-usapan ang topic na ‘to,” Sotto said.
The mayor stressed that money kept idle is not a measure of good governance.
“Government ‘surplus’ or ‘savings’ is not an accomplishment. Hindi dapat nag-iimbak ng pera ang gobyerno, dapat nilalabas ito para tulungan ang mga tao at para palaguin ang ekonomiya,” he emphasized.
Sotto attributed the city’s significant savings mainly to anti-corruption reforms, particularly through strict procurement processes.
“To keep it short, the main reason is that because of true open bidding and no kickbacks, prices go down. What was previously ₱100M can now be done for 80 or even lower,” he explained.
He also noted that Pasig’s “absorptive capacity” has not yet fully adjusted to its rapidly expanding budget.
“Our annual budget doubled in 5 years from around 10B to 20B. Our expenditures (social services, other services, salaries, and infra) have also almost doubled, but not quite (very rough estimate from 9B to 16B),” Sotto said.
The mayor added that ongoing reforms in planning, procurement, and implementation—though difficult—are laying the foundation for better governance in the long term.
“Nagtatanim tayo nang maayos ngayon para mas gumanda pa ang aanihin natin bukas,” he stressed.