THE Quezon City government was all set to install overhead water tanks with standpipe systems next year to help firefighters respond to blazes in alleys and narrow streets, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Saturday.
The planned installations are part of the city’s disaster preparedness and emergency response initiatives, which also include strengthening barangay capabilities and centralizing surveillance cameras for faster incident response, Belmonte told The Manila Times.
In her State of the City Address earlier this week, Belmonte said more than 3,000 closed-circuit television cameras have been installed under Project Aurora, designed for a centralized, high-tech surveillance and monitoring network for public safety and traffic management.
On economic development, the city chief executive said the local government contributed P1.4 trillion, or about 6 percent, to the country’s gross domestic product in 2025.
She also cited a Commission on Audit report identifying Quezon City as the country’s leading city revenue-wise.
The city government continues to streamline business permitting and other services, leveraging its status as the most business-friendly city awarded by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to Belmonte.
Quezon City is also the first city to integrate with the eGovPH platform and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Business Name Registration System, according to her.
Its Economic Development and Investment Plan for 2025 to 2028 seeks to attract major investments, strengthen priority industries, support local enterprises and generate more jobs.
On infrastructure, Belmonte said the city is implementing its Drainage Master Plan, including the construction of retention and detention ponds in recreational areas under Project TERRA.
Detention pipes have also been installed along roads and in covered courts to supplement flood mitigation measures, the city government said.
The city government said it has revitalized 370 parks and open spaces, and is continuing efforts under QC ReVibe to make roads and sidewalks safer and more accessible to pedestrians.
“The Amoranto Sports Complex is undergoing renovation to add sports facilities ahead of Quezon City’s hosting of the Palarong Pambansa in 2027,” the mayor said.
She said the city’s Trash to Cashback program has recovered and diverted more than 1 million kilograms of single-use plastics from landfills.
To prepare for the El Niño, the city government established a Heat Action Team that developed a Heat Resilience Framework to guide measures against extreme heat and drought, Belmonte said.
Quezon City has also installed solar power systems in 36 public facilities, including schools, government buildings and hospitals, she revealed.
From January to June 2026, the solar panels generated more than 3.3 megawatts-peak of clean energy and saved the city nearly P14.8 million in utility bills, Belmonte said.
On governance, the mayor said the city’s Open Data and Open Infra dashboards continued to provide information to stakeholders as part of its commitment to the Open Government Partnership.
The city has also shifted to electronic document processing through its QC Document Management System, reducing paper consumption by 600,000 pages and generating estimated savings of P1 million.
Belmonte said the city enacted a Participatory Budgeting Ordinance this year, allowing civil society organizations to take part in preparing the local budget.
She described Quezon City as a model for local governance and urged residents to protect the city’s achievements.