ILOILO City – Former Senate President Franklin Drilon pointed to Iloilo’s political cohesion as the decisive factor behind the city’s rapid infrastructure rollout, urging leaders across Western Visayas to set aside rivalries if they want major projects delivered on time.
Speaking at a press conference, Drilon said Iloilo’s experience proves that unified local leadership can dramatically accelerate infrastructure development, prevent partisan roadblocks, and translate plans into concrete gains on the ground.
“I prefer to speak not about theories, but about realities,” Drilon said, stressing that Iloilo stands as a working model of cooperation among political leaders.
“In Iloilo, we were able to move our infrastructure program because of the united political leadership,” he said. “In other areas, magtatayo ka lang ng barangay hall, nag-aaway na’ yung mayor at congressman. In areas like Naga, to extend the runway, nagsusuntukan ang mga politiko. Here in Iloilo, we are all united — nobody would block any project designed to improve the lives of our people here in Iloilo.”
For decades, Iloilo City politics had been defined by intense competition among dominant political blocs. However, in recent years, city and provincial leaders have aligned on major urban development and infrastructure initiatives as Iloilo positions itself as a regional growth hub.
Drilon said this alignment has minimized delays typically caused by partisan disputes, allowing technical plans to proceed based on merit rather than political affiliation.
“A united political leadership is an essential element of being able to provide benefits to our people in terms of government help,” he said.
He noted that coordination among governors, mayors, and lawmakers is especially critical as national and regional governments implement large-scale projects in transport, flood control, health, and education.
Drilon added that Iloilo’s experience offers important lessons for other parts of Western Visayas, where strained political relationships continue to slow infrastructure delivery in some provinces and cities.
As the region pushes for stronger inter-provincial connectivity and disaster-resilient infrastructure, Drilon said political unity will determine whether development plans are realized — or remain stalled on paper./PN
