ILOILO — A major hurdle to the development of Iloilo Province’s proposed Smart, Green Government Center is set to be addressed after the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) signified support for a socialized housing project that will relocate 71 informal settler families from the project site in Santa Barbara town.
The housing initiative emerged following a meeting between Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and DHSUD Expanded 4PH Project Management Office director Ryan Jaen at the DHSUD Central Office in Quezon City on June 11.
The proposed socialized housing project is eyed to rise on a provincial government-acquired property in Barangay Agusipan, Santa Barbara.
The relocation of the affected families is necessary to clear the way for the construction of an access road leading to the planned Smart, Green Government Center, a flagship provincial government project that will occupy a 6.3-hectare property spanning barangays Bolong Oeste and Inangayan in Santa Barbara.
The relocation effort also complements the provincial government’s push to complete the road network leading to the proposed government center.
Earlier, Defensor sought assistance from 2nd District’s Cong. Kathryn Joyce Gorriceta and former congressman Mike Gorriceta to help fund the construction of the access road.
On June 2, the governor met with the couple and Santa Barbara’s Mayor Dennis Superficial to discuss support for the continuing development of the government center project.
During the meeting, Defensor requested assistance for the completion of the access road, noting that while construction has already started, funding is still needed to finish approximately 600 meters of roadway required to fully connect the site.
Gorriceta assured the governor that funding for the completion of the access road would be prioritized and expressed full support for the government center project.
Envisioned as a regional government hub, the Smart, Green Government Center aims to centralize various national government agencies in a single location to streamline and improve public service delivery.
The Department of Public Works and Highways Region 6 is currently undertaking site development activities, including drainage excavation, roadway embankment, and the construction of drainage and slope protection structures. The agency has also begun Phase I of a six-storey multi-purpose building within the complex.
Defensor previously disclosed that the project received a P100-million allocation under the 2024 General Appropriations Act for the building’s first phase, while additional funding requests have been submitted to the national government.
Designed as a state-of-the-art facility, the government center will incorporate sustainable features, smart technologies, and efficient operational systems. The governor has also indicated plans to present the project to potential private sector partners due to its substantial funding requirements./PN
