Quezon City, Philippines — Former Vice President and Naga City Mayor-elect Leni Robredo visited the Quezon City Reception House on June 4, 2025, where she was warmly welcomed by Mayor Joy Belmonte, City Administrator Mike Alimurung, and other city officials. The meeting highlighted inter-city collaboration, digital transformation, and renewed local governance ties.
The visit to the Reception House—Robredo’s former office as Vice President from 2016 to 2022—was both symbolic and practical. As she prepares to take office as the first female mayor of Naga City, Robredo is actively seeking best practices from progressive local government units, with Quezon City emerging as a key benchmark in terms of automation and digital governance.
In a Facebook post following the meeting, Mayor-elect Robredo wrote:
“Thank you to Mayor Joy Belmonte, City Administrator Mike Alimurung, and the QC Government for the very warm welcome. I visited Mayor Joy yesterday to inquire about some of their programs, specifically, how they were able to fully automate all their processes and database. Quezon City is the most advanced as far as digitization is concerned.”
She further emphasized a renewed opportunity for cooperation:
“Mayor Joy reminded us that there is an existing Sister City arrangement between Quezon City and Naga City, entered into during the time of Mayor John Bongat. We just need to review, reactivate, and improve, if needed, so that Quezon City would be able to help us with automation. We are thrilled with this development because automation has long been an aspiration of the city and, now, we do not need to spend that much to make it happen.”
Robredo’s return to local politics was cemented by a landslide victory in the May 2025 elections, and she is set to assume office on June 30, 2025. She has consistently championed good governance and citizen empowerment throughout her career and expressed her intent to bring those principles to Naga’s city hall.
The discussions with Mayor Belmonte signal an exciting new chapter for Naga City, particularly in its push for a more modern and efficient city government through digital reform. Reactivating the Sister City agreement with Quezon City could provide Naga with a cost-effective path to automation—an initiative long in the city’s plans.
Robredo concluded her post with heartfelt gratitude:
“Thank you very much, Mayor Joy, CA Mike and the QC Government.”
As Naga City anticipates a new era under Robredo’s leadership, this visit demonstrates her proactive approach to building partnerships that will strengthen local governance and innovation across city borders.
