‘Walang utang ang lungsod’: Joy Belmonte says QC financially strong

MANILA — Quezon City remains financially sound, with more than half of its P45.5 billion budget for 2026 allocated to social services, including health care and other programs for residents, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Monday.

In her eighth State of the City Address, Belmonte opened with a declaration on the city’s financial standing, saying Quezon City has no outstanding debt under her administration.

“Sa ilalim ng ating administrasyon, walang utang ang Lungsod Quezon. Because of our commitment and perseverance to clean, disciplined governance. We have fundamentally re-written the financial story of Quezon City,” she said.

Data presented by Belmonte showed that the city’s locally sourced revenue grew to P28.4 billion from P19.3 billion during her first term as mayor. In the first half of 2026 alone, locally sourced revenue had reached P17.5 billion.

Belmonte also said Quezon City contributed P1.4 trillion to the Philippine economy.

That is equivalent to 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. This is the largest share among the country’s 82 provinces and 33 highly urbanized cities.

Of the city’s 2026 budget, around P5.5 billion is allocated to health services. Belmonte said local policies and ordinances further support the city’s health programs.

All of the city’s health facilities are also accredited under PhilHealth’s Yaman sa Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides access to primary care services and essential medicines.

More than 500,000 Quezon City residents have registered with YAKAP through city health centers and private providers, according to Belmonte.

“Higit kalahating milyong QCitizens na ang YAKAP registered sa ating city health and private YAKAP providers. Malaking ginhawa ito dahil libre ang consultation, laboratory test, cancer screenings at may access pa sa hanggang P20,000 worth of essential medicines.”

To encourage more residents to register, the city will provide barangays with P150 for every resident they successfully enroll through a health center. The incentives will be deposited directly into barangay bank accounts and may be used to fund local health programs, purchase supplies and pay barangay health workers.

By December, the city also plans to implement the second phase of its calorie-labeling initiative. The policy requires food establishments to clearly display the calorie content of the items they serve, allowing consumers to make more informed food choices.

The second phase will expand the requirement to establishments operating two to four branches within the city.

“Marami sa ating mga kababayan ang nagsasabing malaking tulong ang guide na ito para sa kanilang pagpili sa masustansiyang pagkain,” Belmonte said.

The city has also expanded access to HIV testing through sundown clinics, which operate beyond regular office hours, as well as drive-through and park-and-test facilities.

Quezon City is also looking at ways to improve its emergency response in densely populated communities, where narrow roads can prevent fire trucks from reaching fires quickly.

To address this problem, the city plans to install elevated water tanks with standpipes in densely populated and hard-to-reach areas. The system would provide a nearby water source that firefighters could use even when large fire trucks cannot immediately enter a community.

“Sa ganitong sistema, kahit hindi agad makapasok ang mga malalaking fire truck sa mga looban pag may sunog, may nakaabang na agad tayong sariling source ng tubig na may mataas na pressure,” Belmonte said.

The project will first be tested in Barangay Apolonio Samson before it is expanded to other communities.

The city is also pursuing long-term measures to reduce flooding, particularly in areas vulnerable to heavy rainfall.

Based on a two-year assessment by the city, the peak volume of floodwater in Quezon City could reach around 26 million cubic meters — equivalent to approximately 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 

Traditional flood-control infrastructure, however, is projected to address only 4 percent of this volume.

At the center of the city’s flood-mitigation strategy is a drainage master plan that combines conventional infrastructure with nature-based solutions to manage excess rainwater.

These include basketball courts designed to double as water detention facilities, where rainwater can temporarily collect instead of immediately flowing into already strained drainage systems.

Five new detention basins are also under construction in Barangays Commonwealth, Greater Lagro, NS Amoranto, Masambong and Bahay Toro.

Meanwhile, retention ponds at the Quezon Memorial Circle and Quezon City Hall can store hundreds of cubic meters of water, providing additional capacity to help manage runoff during heavy rains.

To prepare for extreme heat, the city has established cooling centers and misting systems. Its Heat Action Team also convened in December to develop a heat-resilience framework.

With a very strong El Niño expected by the end of 2026 and its effects potentially extending into early 2027, Belmonte said the city has reactivated its local El Niño Task Force.

The city plans to deploy water tankers and filtration units, explore the use of cooling roofs in socialized housing projects, and further strengthen its fire preparedness systems in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Belmonte also stressed that violence and abuse would not be tolerated in Quezon City, condemning the recent fatal shooting of three teenagers in Barangay Batasan Hills allegedly involving a member of Task Force Disiplina.

Following the incident, the city scrapped Task Force Disiplina and ordered the retraining and reform of personnel from the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety, the Traffic and Transport Management Department, and barangay public safety offices.

Belmonte’s third and final term as mayor ends in 2028. She appealed to residents to help protect the gains made under her administration and ensure that the city continues to develop.

“Huwag nating hayaang bumalik ang ating lungsod sa panahon ng kapabayaan, pabor-pabor, at pira-pirasong plano. Protektahan natin ang ating mga tagumpay. Patuloy nating itaguyod ang isang Lungsod Quezon kung saan ang kaunlaran ay may katarungan, at ang bawat mamamayan ay namumuhay nang may tunay na dignidad,” Belmonte said.