ILOILO City – The city government is not taking a pause in coming up with programs and projects for this southern city’s transformation into a more progressive and livable one.
Its beautification efforts do not just end in restoring public plazas and heritage structures, road repairs, landscaping and planting flowers but also include getting rid of eyesores such as unsightly wirings.
The underground cabling program, which covers plaza complexes, Sunburst Park, the Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, and all heritage properties in the city like the Calle Real, has become part of the plan and has now started to take shape.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the underground cabling project will enhance the beauty of this southern city’s heritage buildings in Calle Real.
“These heritage buildings are the reason why the tourism and heritage law which I authored in the House of Representatives identified the area as one of the important sites in the city that must be preserved,” said Treñas.
The city mayor is confident that this initiative will make the city even more attractive to visitors and tourists.
Under the undergrounding ordinance, the Task Force PUGI or the Public Utilities Group of Iloilo – composed of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) as head and telecommunications companies such as Converge, Globe, Smart, PLDT, Skycable, Panay Broadband, and DITO as members – is taking the lead in the underground cabling project.
MORE Power, the city’s sole power distributor, is the first to kick-off the project in the bid also to improve its electricity distribution system. It started its preliminary activities at the Calle Real like the conduct of ground survey.
For Treñas, MORE Power’s undergrounding project is another testament of the latter’s strong support to the progress and development of the city. He asked the telcos to support the project to make Iloilo City one of the most competitive cities in the country.
Recently, the power firm’s principal owner, business tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., came over and discussed with the city mayor the underground power distribution system project as well as game-changing port developments.
Treñas said the city government is thrilled to be working with the Razon’s Group to bring these key transformative projects to life.
Meanwhile, MORE Power president and chief executive officer Roel Castro said they are targeting to complete their wire undergrounding activity in four months.
“This is part of our initiative supporting the city government kasi alam naman natin, the city government has really been at the forefront of leveling up Iloilo,” said Castro.
The underground cabling project is seen to complement previous, ongoing and future development initiatives of the city government.To reserve and develop the city’s cultural heritage tourism sites, and to fully implement RA 10555 which declares seven heritage sites of Iloilo City as cultural heritage tourism zones, the city government carried out the full rehabilitation of public plazas such as Plaza Libertad in City Proper and the plazas of Jaro, Molo and Arevalo districts as well as those of La Paz and Mandurriao.
Also, in line with the development of the city’s Central Business District, the historic Sunburst Park was also restored through the help of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and then Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon.
The city government and Drilon also shared the vision of reliving the past beauty of the historic Fort San Pedro.
Moreover, the city is also currently redeveloping its public markets including the two biggest ones – the Iloilo Central and Terminal markets.
Aside from the infrastructure projects, the city government also continues to take initiatives in sustaining the environmental needs of the metropolis.
On top of the priorities is the proposed Tree Park Network Project which will establish eco-forests in three districts namely: Iloilo Tree Park in Lanit, Jaro; Beach Forest in Boulevard, Molo; and Mangrove Eco-park in Hinactacan, La Paz.
Treñas, aside from providing additional recreational facilities for the public and opportunities to bring people closer to nature to support efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said the tree park project also aims to help mitigate the effects of climate change and restore biodiversity in the city./PN
