ILOILO City — The Iloilo City Government, under the leadership of Mayor Raisa Treñas, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing decent, safe, and permanent homes for Ilonggo families with the launch of the PASILONG: Pabalay para sa Pamilyang Ilonggo Housing Program.
Mayor Treñas underscored the vital role of housing in building strong, values-centered families.
“As a mother, I believe that the character and values of our children begin at home. That’s why it’s so important that every family has a home they can truly call their own. This is the heart of our PASILONG Program,” she said during the program launch.
PASILONG is a holistic approach to urban housing — one that goes beyond physical shelter by integrating access to education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities.
“Through the PASILONG Program, we continue to work closely with the Iloilo City Local Housing Office (ICLHO), government agencies like DHSUD, and our partners and stakeholders to build more homes for the Ilonggos,” Treñas added.
Beyond Building Homes
According to Atty. Peter Jason Millare, head of the ICLHO, PASILONG extends beyond the construction of housing units. The program focuses on organizing and empowering Homeowners Associations (HOAs), establishing community-based livelihood programs through HOA-led cooperatives and Sustainable Livelihood Programs (SLPs), creating talipapa centers, and identifying sites for community health facilities.
To date, Iloilo City has 46 resettlement sites, with residents organized into 55 HOAs, six federations, and one confederation.
Under the city’s “Rising Livability” action pillar, Mayor Treñas reaffirmed her vision for transformative change in housing.
“We will build more homes because in building homes, we build dreams and uplift lives. For every Ilonggo family who dreams of having a home, we will work hard to make that dream come true,” she said.
PASILONG is among the 42 people-centered programs implemented by Mayor Treñas during her first 100 days in office.
Four Major Housing Projects Underway
The city government continues to advance four major housing projects under PASILONG such as Uswag Residential Complex, Uswag 4PH Condominium Complex, Rise Batiano Village, and Westville Residences.
Under these, the city has lined up over 2,000 housing units. It has acquired nearly 30,000 square meters of additional land in preparation for future projects.
The Westville Residences, located in Barangay Hibao-an, will be developed in partnership with Henber Realty Development Corporation as part of the company’s socialized housing balance compliance.
“They will handle the construction while the city will assist with the design. The city will not spend on the building of the houses — our role is to improve access roads that were not cemented before,” explained Atty. Millare.
Meanwhile, the Rise Batiano Village in West Habog-Habog, Molo, will be funded entirely by the city government for both site development and housing construction. Most of its identified beneficiaries are fire victims and families living in flood-prone areas.
Mayor Treñas recently visited both sites, including a livelihood project of the San Juan Homeowners Association, a community variety store supported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in partnership with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and ICLHO.
Significant progress has also been made in land titling for existing homeowners. In partnership with Pag-IBIG Fund, the city will soon issue land titles to more than 1,000 families residing in the Iloilo River Plains Subdivision in Barangay Lanit, Jaro district.
Mayor Treñas announced that the housing units in the subdivision are now free for beneficiaries.
“Only the land and development costs will be repaid. I want every homeowner to have peace of mind that their houses are truly theirs — homes they can keep and pass on to their children,” she said.
Public–Private Collaboration for a Livable City
Key partners in realizing these housing initiatives were present during the launching, including the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Henber Realty Development Corporation, EON Realty and Development Corporation, the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund), and City Councilor Mandrie Malabor, who chairs the Committee on Urban Poor, Human Rights, and Minority Groups.
“While Pag-IBIG Fund’s mandate is to provide shelter financing to its members, these initiatives would not be possible without the active participation of our partners, especially the City Government of Iloilo headed by Mayor Treñas,” said Cesar Bazan, Department Manager for Business Development Department–Visayas./PN
