ILOILO City — Iloilo City has earned its fourth Galing Pook Award, with the Iloilo City Action and Resilience (ICARe) Centers: Decentralizing Risk Governance recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Local Governance Programs in the country for 2026.
The national recognition highlights the city’s innovative approach to disaster preparedness and emergency response by bringing essential services closer to communities and empowering Ilonggos to become active partners in building a safer, more resilient city.
Mayor Raisa S. Treñas personally received the award from no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during the awarding ceremony held in Malacanang yesterday.
Iloilo City, together with Baguio City, also received the first-ever Resilience Award given by the Galing Pook and the National Resilience Council.
“Ini nga award kadalag-an sang tanan nga Ilonggo, ilabi na sang aton mga komunidad, emergency responders, volunteers, kag partners nga nagabuligay para mangin mas preparado kag mas safe ang aton siyudad,” Mayor Treñas expressed.
She added: “…more than the recognition, what matters most is that our people receive faster emergency assistance and are better prepared when disasters happen.”
Mayor Treñas thanked Galing Pook Foundation for recognizing the city’s program and its potential to inspire other local governments.
She also acknowledged the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) headed by Donna Magno, ICARe personnel, police and fire personnel, barangay officials, volunteers, private sector partners, and all stakeholders whose collective efforts have contributed to the program’s success.
“Iloilo City — pinahuhusay ang kahandaan sa sakuna at pinabibilis ang pagtugon sa oras ng panganib,” President Marcos, on his part, described the program during the awarding ceremony.
ICARe was established to address the challenges of centralized emergency response operations, which previously resulted in longer response times for communities located farther from the city center.
“Decentralize risk governance” became the city’s approach, integrating emergency response operations with community-based learning hubs to improve coordination, strengthen preparedness, and foster shared responsibility among government agencies, barangays, the private sector, and volunteers.
Today, nine ICARe Centers are operational across Iloilo City, bringing emergency response services closer to barangays and achieving an average response time of four to eight minutes. Through close coordination among the CDRRMO, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and barangay officials, emergency responders can mobilize more efficiently and deliver more coordinated assistance during emergencies.
Beyond emergency response, ICARe has evolved into a platform for community learning, collaboration, and capacity building. The program has trained 91,000 individuals, engaged more than 100 resilience partners, and mobilized 27 volunteer groups, helping communities develop the knowledge and skills needed to prepare for and respond to disasters.
The initiative also demonstrates the value of public-private partnerships. Six ICARe Centers were secured through property donations from private partners, with an estimated combined market value of at least P916 million. These partnerships have helped expand public services and strengthen the city’s disaster preparedness infrastructure.
ICARe’s impact extends beyond immediate emergency operations. Through science-based approaches, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and environmental initiatives, the program supports climate resilience and sustainable community development. Its framework also promotes operational redundancy, ensuring that emergency response does not depend on a single location or response point.
The program’s sustainability is reinforced through its integration into the city’s plans, budget, ordinances, and agreements, helping ensure that its benefits continue beyond individual projects or administrative terms.
ICARe previously received the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Excellence in Disaster Preparedness Governance Award in 2025. Its growing influence is reflected in 60 benchmarking activities, approximately 1,000 guests welcomed, and interest from 17 local government units seeking to learn from the city’s experience.
During her Galing Pook presentation, Mayor Treñas emphasized that the success of ICARe should not be measured solely by facilities and equipment, but by the lives protected, communities empowered, and risks reduced.
She underscored that resilience begins in homes, grows in barangays, and becomes a citywide commitment when institutions and citizens work together before disasters strike.
The Galing Pook recognition affirms Iloilo City’s continuing commitment to making emergency services more accessible, strengthening community preparedness, and building a culture of resilience grounded in collaboration and shared responsibility.
The fourth victory further solidifies Iloilo City’s storied legacy of governance innovation and award-winning public service across various sectors. It started with the cultural and economic milestone of the Dinagyang Festival in 2012, continuing with the environmental rehabilitation of the Iloilo-Batiano River Development Project in 2018, and advancing sustainable urban mobility through the I-BIKE Program in 2022.
As Iloilo City continues to enhance its ICARe Centers through improved facilities, equipment, training, and coordination, the city remains committed to protecting lives and preparing communities for future emergencies and disasters.
“Padayon naton nga pasangkaron ang aton ICARe Centers through improved facilities, equipment, training, and coordination para mas mapadasig pa ang aton emergency response kag mas mapangapinan ang kabuhi sang mga Ilonggo. Because every second counts and every Ilonggo matters,” Mayor Treñas added
Mayor Treñas was joined by Magno, ICPO director Wilbert Parilla, BFP-Iloilo City Fire Marshal Fire Supt. Kim M. Celisio, Iloilo City Public Information Officer Ma. Lucy Sinay, and Jude Tiope and April Rose Galera of CDRRMO during the awarding ceremony../PN
