Pasig City has taken another step toward creating safer and more people-friendly streets with the completion of a ₱7.8-million sidewalk and drainage improvement project, according to Mayor Vico Sotto. More than an infrastructure upgrade, the initiative reflects the city’s growing commitment to putting pedestrians at the center of urban planning.

The project covers nearly 600 meters on both sides of a major roadway, where widened sidewalks and an improved drainage system were built to address long-standing issues of flooding and limited walking space. Newly installed bollards now line key sections, creating a physical barrier between pedestrians and moving vehicles and significantly enhancing safety for those on foot.

To ensure the sidewalks could be fully used by the public, the city carried out the construction alongside the removal of sidewalk obstructions. Informal encroachments that had long narrowed walkways were cleared, allowing residents to move more freely and comfortably. However, Mayor Sotto acknowledged that not all obstacles were easy to address. Fixed structures such as utility posts belonging to Meralco and PLDT, as well as some street-light poles, proved more challenging to relocate due to technical and coordination constraints.

Despite these hurdles, Sotto said the project was designed with a broader goal in mind: correcting years of neglect toward pedestrian needs. He shared that he instructed the city’s engineering team to maximize the opportunity to improve walkability, emphasizing that roads should serve people, not just vehicles.

Moving forward, the mayor said pedestrian considerations will no longer be an afterthought in Pasig’s infrastructure plans. Instead, they are now a priority whenever new road projects are undertaken—signaling a shift toward a more inclusive, safer, and more livable city for all.