ILOILO City – The British government is stepping up its support for local governance in the Philippines by backing Iloilo City’s mental health programs and climate resilience efforts — marking a significant boost to Mayor Raisa Treñas’ administration’s social and environmental agenda.
Mayor Treñas revealed that Economic and Climate Counselor Lloyd Cameron of the British Embassy-Manila visited her on July 4 to discuss collaborative initiatives aligned with her administration’s priorities in health, education, and social services.
“This will go on for two years,” Treñas said of the city’s mental health program, which began in 2022 and will now move forward with support from the UK government and the Ateneo School of Medicine.
She added that the effort includes a comprehensive documentation of health centers and systems related to mental wellness.
The collaboration complements an earlier agreement between the UK and the Iloilo provincial government.
During his visit, Cameron also signed a memorandum of understanding with Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. for the delivery of high-impact climate adaptation projects, including efforts to bolster the resilience of the province’s rice sector amid climate change.
The developments signal a deepening of UK-Philippine cooperation at the local level, with Iloilo emerging as a key partner in both mental health innovation and climate action./PN
