Marikina City took center stage at the Second Henedina Razon-Abad Memorial Lecture on Women Leaders in Public Service, where Mayor Maan Teodoro highlighted the local government’s people-centered approach to governance as a model for responsive and compassionate public service.
Held at the San Alberto Hurtado Hall of the Social Development Complex at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, the lecture was hosted by the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) as part of its ASOG@25 Anniversary Celebration and this year’s Talakayang Alay sa Bayan (TALAB).
In her speech, Teodoro presented the principles behind “Alagang Marikina City,” the guiding framework of her administration for addressing everyday concerns and making public services more responsive to the needs of Marikeños. The approach emphasizes care, accountability, and the responsibility of government to provide services that residents can trust and rely on.
Teodoro stressed that care should begin even before it is needed, highlighting the responsibility of public servants to build a government that anticipates people’s needs and responds to their concerns.
“People should see that government is working for them and they can depend on it,” said Teodoro, who previously served as Marikina’s 1st District representative before assuming the helm of the city government.
She emphasized that effective leadership requires public officials to understand people not merely as constituents but as neighbors whose lives are directly affected by government decisions. This perspective, she said, should guide how local governments develop policies, allocate resources, and deliver public services.
Drawing from her personal experiences, Teodoro outlined four levels of “alaga”: care for oneself, one’s family, the community, and, ultimately, the public through government service. These principles reflect her administration’s emphasis on placing people’s needs at the center of local governance.
“Ang patunay ng Alagang Marikina City ay nakaukit sa puso at alaala ng bawat taga-Marikina. Dahil sa alagang ito, ramdam ng tao na may gobyernong kumikilos para sa kanila,” she said.
Reflecting on her journey from dreaming of a better city as a child to helping lead Marikina as its mayor, Teodoro urged fellow public servants to consider the people who will live with the consequences of their decisions. She emphasized the importance of developing policies and allocating public resources based on the needs and experiences of the communities they serve.
“The city I once dreamed of as a child is the city I am now helping build as mayor. To my fellow leaders: remember the person who must live with our decision. Let that person’s experience shape what we spend on, what we fix, and what we refuse to leave unfinished,” Teodoro said.
“When we lead with alaga, we connect with something deeply personal. It tells us that we’re not alone and everything will be alright,” she added.
Marikina City’s approach to local governance also includes initiatives addressing flooding and solid waste management. The city was earlier lauded by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for its integrated approach to flood management and waste recycling, which he said could serve as a model for other local government units (LGUs).
During his inspection of the Marikina River Linear Park and Centralized Materials Recovery Facility, Marcos recognized the city’s circular economy model. The approach goes beyond cleaning rivers and collecting garbage by emphasizing a system in which waste is processed and reused as much as possible.
Residents also noted improvements in Marikina City’s flood-control response compared with the flooding experienced in 2009 during Typhoon Ondoy. Their comments highlighted the changes they had observed following the implementation of the local government’s flood-control measures.
“Gumanda po kaysa noon. Kasi dati, noong Ondoy, lumubog ang Marikina, ngayon hindi na,” a resident said.
“Effective na ang flood control,” another one added.
Launched in October 2025, the Henedina Razon-Abad Memorial Lecture honors the life and public service of Henedina “Dina” Razon-Abad, ASOG’s founding dean and a distinguished public servant, legislator, educator, and advocate of participatory and accountable governance.
The lecture brought together public officials, academics, practitioners, students, alumni, and civil society representatives to reflect on women’s leadership, public service, and the continuing pursuit of institutional and social reform. Marikina City’s experience under Teodoro highlighted the role of people-centered leadership in shaping local governance and making public services more responsive to community needs.
