Discaya pledges one-stop Pasig center

Pasig City mayoral candidate Sarah Discaya has committed to building a one-stop shop government center as part of her platform for modernizing the city, focusing on digitalization to streamline services and improve efficiency, should she win in the 12 May elections.

Discaya, a successful businesswoman and the owner of a quadruple-A construction company, said that even before deciding to enter politics, she had envisioned creating a one-stop shop government center in Pasig to simplify bureaucratic processes for residents and businesses.

“Because the one-stop shop will house various government services, like LTO, DFA, SSS, and other agencies in one location, it will make processes easier and faster for the people,” she said in an interview during the St. Gerrard Charity Foundation’s medical mission in Barangay Caniogan on Saturday.

She highlighted how this would eliminate the need for citizens to run around the city going from one office to another for government transactions.

She stressed the importance of having swift and efficient government procedures to avoid unnecessary delays that hinder both business and personal progress.

“For example, getting a business permit is difficult because of all the checklists, and then when you come back, the checklist is still incomplete,” Discaya noted, emphasizing how frustrating these delays can be for business owners.

The 48-year-old philanthropist and business leader, who has previously advocated for digital technology in both business and governance, is proposing a Smart City vision for Pasig. She believes digital tools will play a key role in curbing corruption and reducing red tape, both of which she views as major barriers to good governance.

“Through digitalization, which we are pushing for in a Smart City initiative, we can speed up processes and reduce red tape and under-the-table transactions. People will no longer need to wait in long lines or deal with delays,” Discaya said.

As part of this initiative, she suggested moving many government services online. “As long as we declare everything correctly, we can do everything online. Even paying for a mayor’s permit can be done online to avoid long queues and delays,” she said.

In terms of logistics, Discaya revealed that a location for the proposed government center has already been identified, and plans are in place to ensure that it will be accessible to all residents, especially business owners and entrepreneurs.

“We’re looking at larger areas where we can build the center, so our entrepreneurs and constituents won’t have a hard time. We need to ensure that our local government is business-friendly to encourage more investors to come to Pasig,” she said.