‘A CHALLENGING YEAR’: Coronavirus crisis takes center stage in SOCA

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas found a silver lining in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that wreaked havoc on the lives of llonggos and the rest of the world.

Despite the uncertainties, Treñas sounded hopeful in achieving his “Level Up Iloilo” slogan in the 2019 elections.

In his state of the city address (SOCA) delivered on July 24, 2020, Treñas cited the way the local government responded to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic instead of waiting for the national government.

He attributed the city’s fast response to the crisis to the help of the public and private sectors.

He also highlighted his role as father of the city amid a very challenging first year of this three-year term.

“Please remember that I am here for all of you. You have placed me in this position, and it is now my duty and responsibility to protect and take care of all of you, as long as I am here as your father, as long as I have your trust and as long as you continue to do your own little share, Iloilo City will be safe,” he said.

Treñas will mark his first year since he assumed office on July 1. During campaign period, his tagline was “To Level Up” Iloilo City under the Uswag brand of service.

The first half of 2020 challenged his leadership because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The first two quarters of 2020 have been significantly different from the perfect vision we were all aiming to see. But because of the Ilonggos’ unwavering brand of bayanihan spirit, we continue to fight against COVID-19,” he said.

The local government was also caught off-guard when COVID-19 first hit the city. The mayor rallied for help from a supportive Ilonggo business community. And it was the Ilonggo business leaders who fueled the first COVID-19 responses of the city.

Using the donations from Ilonggo businessmen, groups, and other private individuals, the city government mobilized the distribution of assistance to the barangays when the city was placed under lockdown or enhanced community quarantine.

Iloilo City was also among the first local government units (LGUs) in the country to buy COVID-19 testing kits funded by cash donations from the private sector.

The city government also led several initiatives such as the Uswag Community Kitchens and Uswag Kitchen Patrols which provided food to the residents and frontliners.

“Initiatives such as USWAG Community Kitchens, USWAG Kitchen Patrol, USWAG Dorm, USWAG Rolling Store, Ilonggo Pandesal, Ilonggo Artists Against Covid-19, USWAG Sewers, USWAG Bike Sharing, Iloilo United Volunteers, Mass Testing, and the donations from compassionate Ilonggo businessmen, played a crucial role in our fight against COVID,” Treñas said.

The Uswag Community Kitchen served 1.9 million meals to thousands of Ilonggo families while 1.7 million pieces of Ilonggo pandesal were distributed to city residents, according to the mayor.

The city government has started the construction of the Iloilo City COVID-19 testing laboratory which will help boosts the testing capacity of the metro.

“In light of the recent grow in number of COVID-19 patients in our city, the Iloilo City testing laboratory in Molo is also in the works. We hope to have this done as soon as possible so we can have faster swab results, and eventually contain the virus, because this facility will truly boost the capacity to manage cases,” he added.
The city’s COVID-19 response and the proactive actions of the local government earned praises from the netizens.

Last March, Iloilo City trended in Twitter with netizens admiring how the city handled its fight against COVID-19. The city was dubbed as “The Wakanda of the Philippines” and “Republic of Iloilo” because of its perceived independence from the national government.

“The rest of the Iloilo City Government’s initiatives in fighting against COVID-19 speak volumes about how Ilonggos are resilient, placing us to the present situation – far from the old normal and the ideal, but because we are on top of everything, we have come a long way,” Treñas said.

As the city continues to fight the pandemic, Treñas appealed for cooperation from the Ilonggos especially in following the public health standards.

“Indeed, it has been a very dark time for us, but as Ilonggos, let us show the world that we shine even brighter during the darkest of nights. As long as you continue to do your own little share, Iloilo City will be safe. I believe that we will all get through this,” he said. (ERS)