ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, in his 2024 State of the City Address (SOCA) yesterday, cited the impacts of various accomplishments and achievements of Iloilo City under his leadership, and reaffirmed his commitment for the metro’s continued development.
The city mayor underscored that Iloilo City will continue to rise as it is a city built for more.
Reiterating his favorite quote, “Governance is a shared responsibility of the governors and the governed,” Treñas urged everyone’s support in the pursuit of city’s further growth and the enhancement of its people’s quality of life.
“Together, we build a city that is not just content with its present state but is constantly striving for more – more opportunities, more growth, and more prosperity for all,” he emphasized.
The improvement in the poverty incidence is one of the highlights cited by Treñas. Based on Philippine Statistics Authority data, from 8.4 percent in the first half of 2021, the number of families living below the poverty threshold significantly dropped to 6.8 percent in 2023 in the same period.
Likewise, the unemployment rate in the city declined from to 11.90 percent from 15.90 percent, he said.
“This positive trend is a testament to our efforts to improve the lives of our less fortunate residents,” stressed Treñas.
As the city continues to attract more businesses and investments, he vowed for more employment opportunities.
As of August this year, the city already approved and issued 18,868 business permits, including 1,926 new business applications. Last year, the city issued 18,927 business permits including 2,746 new business registrations.
Treñas is also proud of the city’s competitiveness after it has been hailed as this year’s 5th Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City in the country and the only one from Visayas and Mindanao that made it to the Top 5.
Iloilo City also prioritizes the health and wellness of its people, thus, it persists in upgrading health facilities and services and enhanced nutrition program.
Among these include the soon-to-be operational Uswag Nutrition Center, Uswag Dialysis Centers, new Uswag Molecular Laboratory, and Uswag Physical Rehabilitation Center.
The city’s dream hospital, the five-story Level-2 Iloilo City Hospital and Medical Arts Building, is now 37 percent complete. The construction of the Mega Health Center with a dialysis center and Mental Wellness Building are also on the pipeline.
Through the nutrition center that is equipped with production facility for supplementary food, the city hopes to further decrease the number of malnourished preschool children.
Iloilo City is also proud of its national and international accolades, which include its anti-hunger initiatives dubbed as Rise-A-Farm, which was hailed as 2024 national finalist in the Galing Pook and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Award; the ASEAN Smoke-Free City Gold Award; and the Creative City of Gastronomy designation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Iloilo City was showcased to the world last year through two prestigious international events — the Executive Board Meeting of CityNet in South Korea; and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) forum in Vienna, Austria.
This November, it will be hosting the 44th CityNet Executive Committee meeting wherein Treñas is a member.
The mayor also reported that the city was able to release over P50 million in financial assistance to around 15,000 residents under DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program.
As part of its efforts to reduce housing backlog, 8,579 homeless families have been provided with housing units.
In the area of education, Treñas vowed to continue to invest in free, accessible, and quality education for all Ilonggos. The city’s Uswag Scholarship program, for one, continues to assist underprivileged but deserving Ilonggo students with already 2,000 scholars served, 52 of them achieving Latin Honors.
Alongside education is the city’s sports program for the youth, the Iloilo City Sports Academy, which was chosen as national finalist to the Galing Pook Award last year.
Treñas also cited the redevelopment of the city public plazas and public markets as well as its beautification efforts exuding the city’s vibrancy and livability.
“Tumandok man ukon bisita, madinalag-on naton nga napapitik ang tagsa ka tagipusu-on sa syudad sang Iloilo,” he said.
As the city has been placed as 8th safest city in Asia, based on the Numbeo Southeast Asia Safety Index for 2023 as well as with the insurgency-free city declaration by the Joint Peace and Security Coordination Center (JPSCC), the city mayor assured his continued support to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal drugs and criminalities.
“Let me also reiterate and emphasize that unlawful activities like POGOS (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) have no place in Iloilo City. We are one with President (Ferdinand) Bongbong Marcos (Jr.) in the fight against this kind of illegal activities. We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure none of these will thrive in our city,” he stressed.
Moreover, Treñas also mentioned the city’s effort to continuously invest in the enhancement of the City Government as an organization and its personnel through targeted training programs, streamline processes, and embracing technology for a more efficient and quality service delivery.
The city’s focus extends beyond its people and economy as it also places strong emphasis on environmental protection through massive tree planting native trees, promotion of a healthy lifestyle and bike culture through the I-Bike Program, and many other related initiatives.
“Samtang, luwas sa padayon kita nga naga-enjoy sa maayo nga serbisyo kag isa sa may pinakabarato nga power rate sa pungsod, we are also glad to know that MORE Electric and Power Corporation is also exploring more sources especially reliable and affordable renewable energy,” said Treñas.
The city mayor noted that these efforts are anchored in the city’s crucial role to localize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, intertwined with its new strategic roadmap, ‘RISE, Iloilo City,’ a continuation of WHEELS for inclusive development program.
Treñas maintained that the city’s goal is to be one of the Top 3 Most Liveable Sustainable and Reilient Highly Urbanized Cities in the country by 2029.
Meanwhile, Treñas acknowledges everyone’s contribution, from the hard-working department heads and employees to the supportive private sector partners such as the media, business groups, the academe, national government and non-government organizations, the religious sector, down to the households of every Ilonggo, regardless of status in life – who all play a vital role in the city’s success story.
“My beloved Ilonggos, I am forever grateful for the privilege you have given and will continue to give me to serve you both now and, in the days, to come. Salamat, salamat sa inyo sa pagsalig kag suporta sa karon kag sa palaabuton. Madamo pa kita sang dapat ubrahon; ang aton dugang nga mga handum para sa syudad, ululupod naton nga tumanon,” said Treñas./PN
