ILOILO City – Residents could face the brunt of delayed flood control and infrastructure projects as City Hall and the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) struggle to align meeting schedules, leaving urgent works hanging amid calls for collaboration.
Mayor Raisa Treñas confirmed she will skip the September 3 coordination meeting called by ICDEO officer-in-charge Engr. Roy Pacanan, citing prior commitments such as zoning, health, and board meetings. She assured, however, that official representatives will attend in her stead.
“We are very open to Engr. Pacanan,” Treñas said. “But what we noticed is that the City Government, together with our City Council, has already invited him several times for hearings. If collaboration is truly the goal, it would have been better if he also came to us, since we have always been open to him. Twice already we called for hearings, and he did not attend.”
The mayor stressed that her absence should not be seen as reluctance to cooperate.
“At the end of the day, we only want what’s best for the city and to make sure our projects are clear and transparent. We ask that meetings be scheduled with due notice so we can review the agenda thoroughly,” she said.
In a letter dated August 28, Pacanan thanked Treñas for her public statements on openness to coordination, calling it an affirmation of their “aligned commitment to serving the people of Iloilo City.”
He invited her office to a meeting in ICDEO’s “humble rented office space,” saying the discussions would still be “significant and impactful.”
The ICDEO’s proposed agenda includes updates on ongoing projects, the status of multi-purpose buildings, traffic management assistance for road works, and the fast-tracking of permits from City Hall to avoid delays.
The coordination – or lack of it – has become a matter of public concern as unfinished drainage systems, flood control measures, and multi-purpose facilities continue to inconvenience residents. Observers warn that further lapses in coordination risk compounding flooding problems and prolonging disruptions in essential services.
Despite the stalemate in scheduling, both offices maintain they are willing to cooperate. As Treñas underscored, “Coordination is what they are asking for, and the city government is very willing. But collaboration has to work both ways.”/PN
