TREÑAS: LEVEL UP ILOILO!

Cong. Jerry P. Treñas

ILOILO City – Given the chance to return to city hall as mayor, Cong. Jerry Treñas aims to boost the economy of the city in such a way that wealth of the more fortunate would trickle down to those who have less in life.

“It’s already in the drawing board,” the congressman told Panay News yesterday, “ready for implementation. Dal-on ta ang pag-uswag sa mas mata-as nga level.”

During the “Debate” organized by DyOK Aksyon Radyo Iloilo for mayoral candidates recently, he said that if wins as a city mayor in May 2019 he would work hand in hand with the elected congressman “for a new and progressive Iloilo City.”

His program of work which he calls “roadmap” is briefly summarized in the acronym “WHEELS”, which stands for “Welfare, Health, Education, Environment, Livelihood, Sustainability.”

Most residents of Iloilo City still remember that, before he became congressman, Treñas had served as councilor and then for three terms as mayor from 2004 to 2010.

In 1992, he coined the slogan “Think Big! Think Iloilo!”

In 2006, he launched the slogan “Iloilo City: Premier City by 2015.” There is now no doubt he did the groundwork for making it come true.

He said that at the rate the city is growing, by the year 2028, with good governance Iloilo would have inevitably gained national recognition as one of the “top three best urbanized cities in the country in terms of livability, competitiveness, viability, and governance practice.”

Incidentally, Treñas ranked first with 64.2 percent of the voters rooting for him in the latest Random Access Consultants, Inc. (RACI) survey.

In a “candidates’ forum” recently held in Molo, the congressman briefly cited his recent initiatives aimed at navigating his “WHEELS” roadmap. In response to public clamor, he had defrayed funds for upgrading of the vegetable and fish sections of the La Paz public market.

He has put up a Youth Center in each of the seven districts of the city. It caters to out-of-school youths, youths with disabilities and special needs, and those social problems like drug addiction and alcoholism.

Manned by trained volunteers supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the youth centers also extend practical skills training and counseling. They are equipped with recreational and sports facilities, too.

The “W” in “WHEELS” would stress public welfare, safety, emergency response, effective drainage system, housing projects for the poor and traffic management.

“H” for “Health and Sanitation” is aimed at improving access to medical and dental services, properly maintained city toilets, potable water and sustained feeding program especially for children.

“E” is for education that would enhance assistance to public schools and daycare centers, upgrade the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) and Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC) and provide continuing education.

The other “E” for “Environmental management” would rationalize the Esplanade operation, improvement of all plazas and coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Department of Health (DOH).

“L” for “livelihood”  means finding ways and means to provide employment and livelihood opportunities for the poor; and would find ways and means to intensify tourism and  investment promotions; promote Iloilo City as meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions (MICE) capital; intensify programs for employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood trainings; and modernize slaughter house and public markets.

“S” or “Sustainability” refers to continuous delivery of all government programs, projects, activities and services./PN

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