Quezon City Government

Mayor Joy Belmonte is an excellent public servant who shows what it is like to lead from the grassroots and create systems that can improve citiies from the ground up. Her programs for the city are celebrated as the most innovative, compassionate, and life-changing programs for the citizens and are being used as models and examples of good governance around the Philippines.

The mayor’s advocacies cover a wide spectrum but are especially focused on the protection and upholding of the rights of women and children, gender fairness, economic empowerment of women, mental health, culture, and the arts.

She pushed for the establishment of the QC Protection Center for Women, Children, and LGBT++ (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders) as a one-stop-shop facility for victims of abuse. Located at the Quezon City General Hospital, the facility provides legal services, police assistance, medical assistance, medico-legal examinations, counseling and psychiatric evaluation, and referral to a temporary shelter program.

She saw the need for nursing mothers who have to transact business at Quezon City Hall for a breastfeeding station and ensured that one such facility was put up at City hall. The facility complies with DOH requirements and has a play area suited for small children of nursing mothers.

As a means to help families in the city to reduce their food costs, as well as promote ways to transform organic waste into fertilizer, then-Vice Mayor Belmonte established the Joy of Urban Farming in 2010. It is a program designed to show that, even with a small space, urban dwellers can still farm using vertical gardens, containers, and other farming techniques. The program promotes the spread of urban farms in more parts of the city, as it trains more than 6,000 people annually on backyard gardening and eco-waste management. With the help of the Department of Education, the project is being implemented in schools through the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” (school vegetable garden) initiative. The urban farms can also be found in different barangays, churches, and areas maintained by various non-government organizations from Districts 1 to 6.

Her advocacy to promote livelihood programs and entrepreneurship is designed to empower and provide a sustainable future for indigent women, for those rehabilitated from drug abuse, and for inmates who seek a better life upon release from jail, among others. Among her projects for promoting entrepreneurship is the Tindahan ni Ate Joy, Lipad (Local Inclusiveness Project for the Advancement and Development)-Pinay Program, the Artisan Academy, and Lazada E-commerce online selling.

The QCinema Film Festival is another project that she initiated. It encourages independent filmmakers to produce screenplays that will promote the city. A Circle Competition is held, where winners receive grants to help them produce their films. It has evolved into an international film festival held annually in the city, which showcases local and international films, documentaries, and short films. Even before she became Vice Mayor, Mayor Joy Belmonte had been supporting the training and exposure of underprivileged children in the city in various art forms. Through the Quezon City Performing Arts, these children receive scholarships in dance, voice, Filipino instruments, and guitar instruction. These scholars have participated in various festivals and competitions, both local and international, garnering citations and honor for the city.