Iloilo City continues to flourish under the term of Mayor Jerry Treñas, evident through various accolades, increased investments, and significant infrastructure projects that have further solidified its status as one of the best cities in the Visayas, if not the entire country.
“In my almost six years as Mayor, Iloilo City has achieved plenty of accomplishments and has made great strides in terms of economic and infrastructure growth. This immense growth has allowed us to further intensify our delivery of services to our constituents,” Treñas said.
Under Treñas’ leadership, the “City of Love” received numerous awards, including the most competitive highly urbanized city (HUC) outside of the National Capital Region (NCR), good for fourth overall based on the 2023 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) developed by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC).
It also bagged second place in Government Efficiency in the highly urbanized city category and ranked fifth as the most improved ranking in the highly urbanized city division.
In terms of economy, Iloilo City placed fourth among 10 provinces and highly urbanized cities in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2022, according to the first-ever Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) involving 16 pilot regions outside the NCR.
Iloilo City’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP), or the average contribution of individuals to an economy’s output for a certain period, stood at P306,444, higher than the national average of P178,751.
In 2022, Iloilo City experienced a significant increase in its GDP, growing to 9.6 percent (worth P145.05 billion) from 6.8 percent the previous year.
Iloilo City was also recognized as the Creative City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network, becoming the first city in the Philippines to earn that distinction.
The city’s I-Bike Program, which promotes bike culture, also won the 2022 Galing Pook Award as one of the most innovative local governance programs, harnessing citizens’ participation and delivering positive results and impact. It was also named one of the Most Bicycle-Friendly Cities in the Philippines for 2023 and given a Gold Award by the Mobility Awards for the third time.
“These recognitions are a testament to our hard work and our fervent aspiration to further improve our governance and our local economy for the benefit of all Ilonggos,” said Mayor Treñas.
“We will not rest on our laurels, as we have plenty of plans and projects that will address the welfare and interests of our residents,” he added.
Businesses also see Iloilo City as an ideal destination for investments, as the city was hailed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) as the 2023 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit under City Level 1B (Provincial HUCs) category.
The city was also declared the 8th Safest City in Southeast Asia in the Numbeo Southeast Asia Safety Index for 2023, helping to entice more businesses to invest in the area.
Infrastructure development is also one of Treñas’ centerpiece projects, believing that this would help improve the quality of life and provide livelihoods for his constituents.
Aside from the construction of vital roads and bridges, the Iloilo City local government recently entered into a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with SM Prime Holdings, Inc. for the redevelopment of the Central and Terminal Markets.
“I really understand the problems of our public markets. The floors are wet. When it rains, water enters. The drainage is smelly. There is really a need to fix our public markets,” Treñas said.
“That’s why I saw the need to renovate our public markets so that we can give more opportunities to our small and medium-scale entrepreneurs,” he added.
Under the 25-year lease agreement signed by Treñas, SM Prime Holdings has committed to investing between P1.5 billion and P2.5 billion in the development of the two markets.
“My vision is to bring Iloilo to the next level, and we do that by bringing the public markets to high levels,” he emphasized, adding that “this PPP program will be of great help because our two biggest public markets will be renovated.”
Once finished in December 2024, the two markets will accommodate around 3,000 stalls, paving the way for thousands of market vendors to benefit from the projects, the Mayor said.
“We will train our vendors in food handling and entrepreneurship so that they will improve in managing their businesses,” he added.
The Mayor believes the projects will provide MSMEs with the needed space to market their local products and services, with the help of the established SM brand.
“The impact is really big. All the products from the farmers in the different parts of Iloilo province are brought to the Terminal Market and the Central Market,” he explained.
“As a home for small businesses, the vendors of the public markets have a place where they can grow. SM has always assisted those who are just starting out, and this has been good for the customers, the businesses, and the city,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan.
Tan added that the modern markets will also help spur tourism as they will showcase the best Iloilo City has to offer in terms of local products and well-loved Ilonggo food specialties.
The rehabilitation of the two markets is part of Treñas’ roadmap for the city’s sustainable development, which includes welfare, health, environment, education, livelihood, and sustainability.
