ILOILO City – As the curtain fell on the 11th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Iloilo City, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon and four outgoing city councilors delivered emotional farewell messages in a session that marked the end of their respective tenures and the ushering in of new leadership at city hall.
Ganzon, who served for over 20 years as councilor and vice mayor presiding the city council, took center stage during the final regular session, reflecting on his long career in public service and highlighting the collective achievements under the Treñas-Ganzon administration.
“For more than 20 years, you have entrusted me to serve as your councilor and vice mayor. It was a great honor and responsibility that I upheld with utmost dedication,” Ganzon said, blending English and Hiligaynon in his address.
Citing the city’s gains, he pointed to notable accomplishments such as the drop in poverty and unemployment rates, Iloilo City’s consistent recognition as the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City in Western Visayas, and the expansion of the Iloilo River Esplanade — now considered the country’s longest linear park.
“One of our proudest accomplishments is the expansion of the Iloilo River Esplanade… We also became a model city for sustainability through our bike lanes, mangrove protection, and shift to renewable energy-powered transport,” he said.
He also credited landmark programs such as the Uswag Dialysis Centers, ICARE facilities, the new Mental Wellness Center, and the Uswag Scholarship Program, which has benefited over 2,000 students.
Quoting Albert Pike, he closed his speech by saying, “What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal,” and thanked Mayor Jerry Treñas, his council colleagues, and his staff.
Joining him in bidding farewell were councilors Candace Tupas, Urminico Baronda, Sumakwel Nava, and Ely Estante, all of whom delivered their valedictory addresses with personal reflections and unfinished legislative wishes.
Tupas, who served for nine years, asked incoming Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia to amend the ordinance creating the Iloilo City HIV-AIDS Council and urged fellow councilors Alan Zaldivar and Rudolph Ganzon to re-file a proposed ordinance on making Iloilo City a hub for medical tourism. “This ordinance reached first reading but failed to gain traction. I entrust its reintroduction to my colleagues in the next council,” she said.
Baronda, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the people of Iloilo, calling his term “a great privilege.”
Nava, who filled the post vacated by his brother, gave a short but sincere message: “It has been a great honor and privilege to personally know and become good friends with such esteemed politicians in our beloved city.” He ended his speech with the popular phrase, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”
Estante, a council veteran who first served in 2004 and missed only one term, signed off with his signature poetic flair, urging the next council to continue his environmental and animal welfare programs. He hinted at his continued involvement in public service, saying, “Despite stepping down from the council, this is not goodbye. We will still see each other, I’ll still be around in another capacity.”/PN