ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas has secured a fresh mandate and the highest ever number of voters given by residents to a mayor of this city.
In a landslide victory on Monday, Treñas garnered 187,691 votes – nearly thrice as many as the 54,552 votes that his challenger, radio blocktimer Salvador “Jun” Capulot Jr., got.
This election victory is the sixth time that Treñas won in all of the city’s voting precincts (first in 2004, then in the 2007, 2013, 2016, and 2019 polls).
Treñas thanked all his supporters and vowed to work for the good of all.
“I’m going to be the mayor not only of those who have supported and voted for me. I will also be the mayor and father of those who opposed and did not vote for me,” said Treñas.
With the elections sow over, he appealed for unity.
“It is time for us to heal the wounds of division and move again as one city bangod kadamo sang aton ulobrahon. Kadamo sang aton talapuson nga programa kag proyekto. Kadamo sang nawad-an sang trabaho bangod sang pandemic. Ang mga kabataan ta waay pa ka balik sa mga eskwelahan,” Treñas told Panay News.
He added: “Let us try to make things happen for our children, provide jobs that were lost. But we can only do this if we move together as one.”
After his proclamation at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday, Treñas headed back to his office to work on another milestone.
The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) had a courtesy call at his office.
ECCP, a bilateral foreign chamber that promotes European interests in the Philippines as well as Philippine interests in Europe, will set up an office in this city.
“This is really a milestone for Iloilo City. This is the first foreign chamber of commerce nga mabutang diri sang ila opisina,” said Treñas.
The American Chamber of Commerce previously expressed interest to open an office here, according to the mayor, but the coronavirus pandemic derailed this.
As of ECCP’s presence in Iloilo, “Ini nagapakita lang nga ara na kita sa radar sang mga dalagko nga mga negosyo,” said Treñas.
“Kon maayo ang aton pagpadalagan sang aton syudad kag manami ang environment para sa negosyo, mas damu pa gid ang masulod diri sa aton para maghatag trabaho sa aton pumoluyo,” the city mayor stressed.
Treñas added there are lot of programs the city government is implementing, including infrastructure projects such as the redevelopment of public markets and plazas.
“Ilonggos will have something to be proud of in the coming years,” he said.
Treñas allies, Rep. Julienne Baronda and Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, also got reelected on Monday.
“Kinahanglan gid naton mag-unite. Buloligan naton ang tanan nga nagdalaog. I promise that we will support all the needs of our constituents, whether you have supported our cause or you have opposed us. Ang gobyerno sang syudad para sa tanan,” he added./PN
