PASIG CITY — Mayor Vico Sotto is pushing for the renewal of the city’s densely populated and marginalized communities, stressing that urban development should go beyond major infrastructure and government buildings.
Speaking on Thursday, October 8, Sotto emphasized that local governance must focus heavily on neighborhoods with limited access to recreational facilities, rather than centering progress solely on administrative projects like the City Hall redevelopment.
“Ang ibig sabihin ng pinagtuunan natin ng pansin hindi ‘yung City Hall lang ha? Na napaka-importante din naman pero kailangan naisipin po natin lahat lalo na yung mga lugar sa Pasig na sabihin nating diretso na mas mahirap. Kailangan na pagtuunan natin ng pansin, urban renewal, urban development,” Sotto said.
Identifying urban renewal and park creation as top priorities for the next one to three years, the mayor noted that Pasig’s heavy congestion makes green spaces vital for residents’ physical and mental well-being, particularly for the youth.
“Hindi nila makuha ang kanilang buong potensyal bilang mga mamamayan, bilang mga tao kung hindi po natin sila bibigyan ng tamang mga pagkakataon,” he added.
Shifting away from the traditional practice of constructing structures on every open parcel of land, the local government is now utilizing a land banking program to acquire vacant properties specifically for public parks.
Sotto pointed to the 3,000-square-meter Buting Linear Park as a successful model of this initiative.
“Dati ‘pag may nakitang kunting bukas na may bakanteng lote, tatayuan agad ng building. Eh, hindi po tayo ganun. Kung kailangan talaga ng building, kailangan ng center, gagawin pa rin natin,” Sotto stated.