Sotto unveils plan for Barangay Ugong multipurpose building

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Monday said the city government is planning to construct a multipurpose building with a health center and a covered court at Purok 2 in Barangay Ugong.

Speaking during the weekly flag-raising ceremony, Sotto explained that instead of simply repairing existing facilities, his vision is to provide the barangay with the services it truly needs.

The mayor acknowledged that infrastructure projects—particularly flood-control initiatives and other large-scale developments—often lead people to think poorly of the government.

He, however, pointed out that this has not been the case in Pasig City, where citizens generally trust the local government. "Why is that so?" he asked.

Sotto suggested that transparency is a major reason. During the public consultation in Barangay Ugong, even before the bidding process, the city government presented the plans and budget, answered questions from the community, and explained the project’s purpose. This allowed the community to become partners in monitoring the project and safeguarding public funds.

He admitted that public trust in the city government may not be absolute—due to political or personal biases, as is true everywhere—but he is proud that Pasigueños maintain a high level of trust because of efforts to promote inclusivity and transparency.

Sotto cited the New Pasig City Hall Project as an example. Despite being a large-scale project, citizens are confident that public funds are being spent properly because of the government’s openness.

He noted that even the bill of quantities will be made public before construction begins—an uncommon practice in government—demonstrating the city’s commitment to accountability from planning to implementation.