ILOILO City – With less than a month left in office, Mayor Jerry Treñas declared that his biggest achievement is not the public infrastructure built during his administration, but the resurgence of Ilonggo pride that now defines the city’s identity.
Speaking in a press conference, Treñas looked back on more than two decades of public service, underscoring how the collective spirit and confidence of the people have grown alongside the city’s physical transformation.
“Above all, my most important legacy is not the roads, not the buildings, not the physical structures. It is the renewed sense of pride of every Ilonggo,” he said.
From being one of the country’s dirtiest cities in 2001, Iloilo City has emerged as a national and global model for urban governance, earning accolades for its cleanliness, sustainability, and culinary culture. It was recently named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy — the first in the Philippines.
Treñas credited this progress to sustained campaigns for urban beautification, environmental care, and citizen engagement. Early initiatives such as tree planting, waste management reforms, and improved street lighting, he said, laid the groundwork for change. These programs earned recognition from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
He also recalled the uphill battles during his return to city hall in 2019, when Iloilo was labeled as one of the country’s most drug-affected cities.
“I was mocked, criticized, and ridiculed. I was hurting in silence,” he shared.
But by the end of his term, he said, the city had not only cleaned up its image but also rekindled its people’s sense of dignity and belonging.
“Today, people from all over the country and the world want to visit Iloilo,” Treñas noted, citing the improved morale among city workers, vendors, drivers, and residents.
He added that Iloilo’s programs are now being studied by other local governments.
His daughter, Mayor-elect Raisa Treñas-Chu, is set to assume the mayoralty on June 30 following her victory in the recent elections, signaling a continuity of leadership in the city.
“Everything we’ve built, we built together, for the city we love,” Treñas said. “This is proof that with good leadership, we can make anything work.”/PN