ILOILO – The provincial government envisions a livable and “intelligent” Iloilo.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. presented plans and policies geared towards this during the Liveable Cities Local Lab forum “Enhancing Livability: Cultivating the Potential of Iloilo” on July 12 at Richmonde Hotel in Iloilo City.
The governor discussed his development mantra MoRProGRes Iloilo, or Movement for a Robust, Progressive and Globally-competitive and Resilient Province of Iloilo, which sets the direction of the province in achieving progress.
The potential of Iloilo as an agricultural province will be maximized through the creation of a value chain for agricultural products, thereby generating employment and investment. Growth areas will also be developed which will serve as investment centers for information and communication technology and light industries.
Defensor said making Iloilo livable would mean providing its people the capacity and ability to live a comfortable life, and this is by creating a strong middle class who shall be financially capacitated customers.
The governor further presented an investment tool developed by the provincial government that shows the fundamentals of Iloilo’s economy, focusing on the four major sectors – power and energy, water, road connectivity, and telecommunications.
Defensor stressed that in achieving a liveable and intelligent community, local government units should start with fulfilling its obligation of providing the fundamentals of the economy through collaboration with the private sector.
“We are looking forward to more collaboration with the private sector in providing the fundamentals so that we can have a community with people who can afford the basic necessities and spend for leisure. That is livability from the standpoint of the province of Iloilo,” the governor said.
Local Labs are organized by Liveable Cities Philippines in partnership with the League of Cities of the Philippines and Globe Telecom that aim to put a spotlight on LGUs in their pursuit towards enhancing their livability and becoming an intelligent community./PN
