The dark side of Pasig City is the dark side of the Philippines.

Filipinos are oftentimes lured and attracted by popularity, theatrical antics, and flashy promises in their choice of leaders who can really deliver the true and solid accomplishments for the good of the country and the people.

While Pasig City is a well-developed area with a mix of residential and commercial spaces, some areas still have dimly lit alleys and unpaved passageways.

On my way to the dark side, I passed by a highly developed space, Valle Verde, one of the most expensive subdivisions, highlighting the range of development within the city.

The dark side includes issues like environmental pollution, socioeconomic challenges, and potential human rights violations. Specifically, the Pasig River, a major waterway, faces severe pollution from various sources, affecting its water quality and the public health. Furthermore, socioeconomic disparities can hinder urban development and inclusion.

Soon I reached an area that looked so impoverished it was really the dark side of the city, where people have very little, but everybody was smiling and looked happy. It was very interesting to think that yesterday I was beholding the P9.6-billion city hall — in the midst of these poor people with beautiful souls, still too good, God bless the Philippines, I thought. It was like that in the slum areas of Pasig.

And soon I reached the squatter area. There are a lot of problems in the squatter colonies within the city. Despite being illegal, squatters have a lot of protection. You can’t just move or even stop them. Usually, the government provides a relocation site, transportation, and sometimes payment to move; yet there is still resistance. Forcible eviction is usually met with criticism allegedly from the media and human rights groups; so nobody wants to touch it. There’s also just an insane number of these dwellings, so it’s nearly impossible to solve.

Near the side of the Pasig River, along the Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, Philippines, I got scared.

According to reports, actual assassins live there. Hitmen lie low until their bosses call them to kill someone once in a while.

A neighbor used to test his homemade guns by shooting at the water and sometimes across the river. Luckily, his bullets never seemed to reach that far.

Drug dealing is easy to see in the area. People see an old woman dealing drugs from her window.

It is only after navigating with flying colors through the foregoing sea of turbulence, caused by illiteracy, drug-related cases and poverty, can Vico achieve his dream of a higher position.

First, Vico must win back the friendship of his rivals in business and politics. There are no substitutes to humility and magnanimity in order to attain greatness.

Then he can launch what may be considered the strongest local government anti-drug campaign in the National Capital Region, if only to eliminate the embarrassing dark side of Pasig City.

Finally, what the city government must do is to invest in education. Being uneducated and unskilled are what’s keeping most people locked in poverty.