ILOILO City — Mayor Raisa S. Treñas reported the expansion of the city government’s flagship programs from 42 to 45, and millions of pesos in significant investments for programs and services during her first year in office, as she presented her administration’s accomplishments in her 2026 State of the City Address (SOCA) on Monday, October 26.
Under the theme “Ilonggo: Sentro sang Progreso kag Serbisyo” (People-centered Progress and Community-driven Service), Treñas outlined the city government’s accomplishments in social services, employment, education, infrastructure, tourism, disaster resilience, peace and order, and economic development.
The mayor said her administration focused on delivering services directly to residents through programs designed to address their medical, financial, livelihood, housing, and educational needs.
“As a public servant, importante gid sa akon nga gapamati ako sa aton pumuluyo para mabal-an ta kun ano ang ila kinahanglan. Amo na ang akon opisina, I have an open door policy. And bal-an gid ina sang tanan nga indi ako magpanyaga kun indi ko pa maubos meet ang tanan nga nagahulat sa akon sa guwa,” she said.
The ATIPAN Center, which provides medical, financial, burial and other assistance, had served more than 34,000 beneficiaries as of September 30.
Through ATIPAN-on-the-MOVE, the city government brought frontline services to four barangays, serving almost 4,000 residents in one month.
The HAPLOS health assistance program had released P21.6 million to 1,149 beneficiaries as of October 21, while the Maayo Ilonggo and Maayo Med free medicine programs had assisted more than 90,000 beneficiaries as of October.
The city also allocated P20 million for MediSen Plus, which had registered more than 8,000 senior citizens and persons with disabilities with hypertension and diabetes for free maintenance medicines. Mayor Treñas announced that the distribution is scheduled to begin on October 29, by batch and district, starting with City Proper.
On employment, the Public Employment Service Office had helped nearly 40,000 Ilonggos find jobs, recording a 97.21% placement rate.
The city’s newly registered businesses generated P7 billion in investments in 2025 and P5.61 billion as of July 2026. Business renewals increased by 6.53% to 17,770 during the same period.
The administration also implemented the P60-million Kabulig Pangkabuhayan Emergency Employment or KAYA Program, benefiting more than 15,000 residents across three batches.
The SIGE Asenso program had provided entrepreneurship training to 1,639 participants since August 2025, while 656 entrepreneurs completed the Negosyo Development Academy, formerly known as the Uswag Negosyo Academy.
In education, the Uswag Scholarship Program doubled its annual beneficiaries from 1,500 to 3,000 scholars, while more than 75,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 12 benefited from the I-SKUL free school supplies program. The city government also plans to expand I-SKUL assistance to include school bags, uniforms and shoes next school year.
Treñas also announced expansion of the Iloilo City Community College through a new campus at Fort San Pedro in City Proper, which is expected to offer additional courses, including information technology and hotel and restaurant management.
She also shared plans to improve the sports facilities at the YMCA to provide schools and young athletes with safer, better and more accessible training venues. The planned improvements will cover the courts and swimming pool, as part of the city’s efforts to support athletes’ training and preparation for competitions throughout the year.
For peace and order, the city government allocated P105.3 million in support for the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) for 2025 and 2026, covering police station construction, fuel, training, office equipment, body-worn cameras, motorcycles, and patrol vehicles.
Meanwhile, 125 barangays have been declared drug-cleared, while nine maintained their drug-free status as of September. ICPO operations also led to the arrest of 865 drug personalities, including 245 high-value targets, and the confiscation of more than P150 million worth of illegal drugs.
On housing, more than 2,000 families were moving closer to housing access through four projects under the Pasilong program: Iloilo Residences Public Rental Housing Project in Barangay Sambag, Jaro; E4PH Condominium Complex in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro; Westville Residences; and Batiano Village.
“Bilang isa ka public servant, wala na sang iban pa nga mas rewarding para sa akon kundi ang makita nga madamo sa aton pumuluyo ang nakabenepisyo kag natandog sang aton mga programa. Para sa akon, amo ini ang matuod nga resibo sang pag-atipan. This is the reason why I am passionate to serve — kay sa tagsa ka kabuhi nga aton matandog, makita naton ang matuod nga kahulugan sang serbisyo publiko,” Treñas expressed.
Meanwhile, the mayor acknowledged that flooding, water supply, traffic congestion, and power availability remained major challenges.
For flood mitigation, the city continues its drainage declogging operations and is pursuing a comprehensive drainage master plan, alongside a science-based hydrologic studies.
The city government is likewise in constant discussions with Metro Pacific Iloilo Water to address supply problems, and explored modular desalination and a modular water treatment plant as long-term water security measures.
In preparation for a potentially strong to very strong El Niño, among others, the administration identified barangays at high risk of water shortages and began deploying static water tanks in priority areas.
The city also earmarked P25 million for solarization projects at vital facilities, including ICARE centers, evacuation centers and health facilities.
In infrastructure and environmental management, 18.4 kilometers of drainage systems had been declogged from July 2025 to September 2026. Nearly 19,000 mangroves and 4,392 native trees have also been planted under the I-Greens program.
The city’s redeveloped public markets, which have been destination for benchmarking by other local governments and institutions, recorded 10 million in foot traffic since reopening in late 2025, while the first eight editions of the Calle Real Night Market attracted an estimated 110,000 visitors and generated more than P13 million in sales.
Iloilo City also hosted 179 local, national and international meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions events, drawing an estimated 115,639 attendees.
On governance, the city received a second consecutive Unmodified Opinion from the Commission on Audit for its 2025 financial statements.
It also received the 2026 Galing Pook Award, the first-ever Resilience Award, the Most Business-Friendly City Award, and five ATOP Pearl Awards, among other recognitions.
Treñas said the awards reflected the work of city government employees and partners but stressed that residents’ welfare remained the administration’s priority.
“Indi ang awards ang pinaka-importante, kundi ang kaayuhan sang aton mga pumuluyo,” she said.
For the coming year, the administration committed to continuing its social protection programs, expanding educational opportunities, improving water security and pursuing the completion and commissioning of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility by the second quarter of 2027.
Treñas expressed her appreciation, and at the same time called on residents, businesses, national government agencies, and barangay officials to sustain their cooperation with the city government.
“One year down. Many more dreams ahead,” the mayor said, reiterating her administration’s commitment to people-centered progress and community-driven public service./PN
