Businesswoman challenges Sotto, vows to transform Pasig into a smart city

MANILA, Philippines — With a promise to transform Pasig into a Smart City, businesswoman Sarah Discaya filed her Certificate of Candidacy for mayor on Monday, challenging Mayor Vico Sotto.

Discaya said that Pasigueños' struggle for a better life inspired her to run.

Popularly called «Ate Sarah,» the businesswoman is known for her charity work in underprivileged areas. Her longtime medical mission and distribution of aid for the needy prompted several groups and organizations to urge her to join the mayoralty race, her team said.

Discaya said that providing homes for marginal renters and informal settlers will be one of her main agendas.

«With hard-earned experiences in our established businesses, we have much to contribute in transforming Pasig into a Smart City, where technology and data are being optimized to improve the life of the Pasigueños,» she said.

She vowed a sustainable housing program for the homeless.

«Not just a mass housing project, but a sustainable 'home for the homeless program' for deserving Pasigueños where the awardees are provided with basic utilities and amenities and their means of economic survival,» Discaya said, adding that a house is not a home if the occupants have no employment or income.

Discaya, whose team is composed of lawyers, prominent personalities and local leaders, said that her platform includes smart healthcare, quality education program in smart schools, safe and protected neighborhood where local law enforcers capitalize on technology and data in preserving peace and order and infrastructure projects which are most needed by the Pasigueños, like multi-level parking buildings to ease traffic congestion.

She said that her dream to transform Pasig into a smart city is technology and data-driven. If elected, Team Sarah's action plans and projects will focus on improving the life of Pasigueños with state-of-the-art infrastructure like smart hospitals for quality healthcare, smart schools for quality education, smart facilities of law enforcers for maintaining peace and order, smart homes with income opportunities for occupants, and smart city hall to be constructed with a reasonable budget for dedicated public