ILOILO City – City government officials are calling for stronger transparency, accountability, and coordination at the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) following the relief of Engr. Roy Pacanan as officer in charge, a move they say should mark a reset in the handling of public works and infrastructure projects in the metro.
Mayor Raisa Treñas said the city government is ready to work closely with the next ICDEO head, stressing that openness and cooperation must define the relationship between the district engineering office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and City Hall.
“We are hoping that the replacement will be committed to transparency and that there will be proper coordination between the Iloilo City District Engineering Office and the Iloilo City Government,” Treñas said. “We are always open to working with national agencies, and we look forward to working closely with the next ICDEO head.”
The mayor underscored that leadership at the ICDEO plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety, quality, and usability of infrastructure projects.
“More importantly, we must ensure that future projects, once finished, are usable and safe for our constituents, in accordance with the approved plans,” she added. “There has to be responsible stewardship of taxpayers’ money, and that can only be achieved if there is transparency and proper coordination.”
Councilor Nene Dela Llana said the reported relief offers a long-overdue opportunity for reform at DPWH’s city district engineering office, citing years of unaddressed flooding and unfinished projects.
“It’s about time. We deserve someone who is qualified. We deserve better. We deserve someone who is competent to serve as district engineer for Iloilo City,” Dela Llana said.
DPWH’s Secretary Vince Dizon announced that Pacanan was among several OIC officials removed after being found not to have met Civil Service Commission qualification standards, as the department carries out a broad leadership reshuffle covering both regional and district levels amid expanding internal investigations.
“Imagine, he has been in that position for several years and yet he was not qualified. During that time, many residents suffered from flooding, and until now, there are districts with projects that remain unfinished,” said Dela Llana.
He urged the still unnamed incoming ICDEO head to immediately review past and ongoing projects and make the findings public.
“The public deserves to know which projects were completed, which ones are still ongoing, and which ones have become stagnant,” Dela Llana said. “The next ICDEO head should start by reviewing the accomplishment reports and being transparent with the people.”
Councilor Romel Duron also welcomed the leadership change, saying it could finally improve coordination between the ICDEO and the city council, particularly on infrastructure and waterway concerns.
“We’re happy about this development. Hopefully, the person who will replace him will be more cooperative with us,” Duron said. “We invited Engr. Pacanan several times to attend city council hearings, especially those related to waterways, but he never showed up.”
Duron emphasized that close cooperation between the ICDEO and the city government is essential to effectively address long-standing infrastructure issues.
“It’s very important that there is coordination and cooperation so we can do what needs to be done for the welfare of Iloilo City,” he added. “We hope the next officer in charge will not repeat the same mistakes and will instead work closely with the council.”
Pacanan had previously been declared persona non grata twice by the city government — once through an executive order by then Mayor Jerry Treñas, and another through a resolution of the 11th Iloilo City Council – over delays in infrastructure projects and DPWH-ICDEO actions deemed detrimental to the welfare of Ilonggos.
A quad committee of the City Council investigated alleged dysfunctional flood control projects implemented by the DPWH-ICDEO.
Last year, Pacanan defended four major flood control undertakings in the city funded under the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Act, stressing that the works were “existing, progressing, and on schedule,” with completion rates ranging between 35% and 98%.
The projects, with a combined allocation of P1.2 billion, included:
* Improvement of the Jaro Floodway and Related Drainage Systems – 98% complete
* Rehabilitation of the Dungon Creek Flood Control Structure – 90% complete
* Expansion of the La Paz Drainage Network – 60% complete
* Upgrading of the Calajunan–Molo River Flood Protection Works – 35% complete
“These are not ghost projects. They are all on the ground, progressing according to their schedules, and will greatly improve the city’s flood mitigation capacity once completed,” Pacanan said.
He also said these projects were procured through open, competitive bidding and costed using the Construction Materials Price Database./PN
