ILOILO – A P500-million government center will soon rise in this province to make frontline services more accessible to the residents.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said he recently went to the office of Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Ernesto “Anton” Floirendo Lagdameo Jr. to request for fund for the project.
“Two weeks ago I was in his office to submit our request for a P500-million budget for the construction of the government center of the Iloilo provincial government and he approved it right there and then,” Defensor told Panay News.
Defensor said the provincial government is also ready to augment additional fund for the center.
The government center, he added, will house the frontline offices of the provincial government and national government agencies.
“Amo ni ang aton vision, we want a government center that will house frontline government offices and national government agency offices nga frontliners especially at the provincial level, ang ginapilahan sang mga tawo. We want to put them in one place para kon ang aton kasimanwa mag-transaction isa lang ka lugar ang kadtoan sang mga tawo,” Defensor said.
The governor is also eyeing a digitalize system for frontline offices at the government center for ease of doing business.
The government center would be established at a strategic location to make it accessible for all residents, particularly those from northern, southern and central parts of the province.
Defensor is eyeing the town of Santa Barbara because of its proximity to the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan town, and Iloilo City where regional offices of the national government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are located.
The governor expects the construction of the government center to begin this year to “gain traction.”
Last year, Defensor transferred to Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The governor revealed that when he joined the PFP, Lagdameo had committed to help the Iloilo provincial government – the reason why he visited the latter for the abovementioned project.
Defensor, the PFP regional head, is also hoping that Lagdameo could attend the mass oath taking scheduled between April 15 and April 19 for mayors and other elected officials from the city and province of Iloilo, including those from Negros Occidental, who wish to join the PFP.
The mass oath taking was supposedly scheduled for April 10 but it was rescheduled due to the unavailability of Lagdameo, and presidential son and Ilocos Norte’s 1st District congressman Sandro Marcos, who had prior commitments./PN
