City mayor defends livelihood program, says ‘Inday’ is generic

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu has defended her administration’s livelihood program “Tindahan, Livelihood & Cart (TLC) ni Inday,” which faces a complaint over alleged violations of the government’s “anti-epal” policy, saying the term “Inday” is a generic expression and not a form of political branding.

“Inday is a generic term. In families here in Iloilo, each family has their own Inday. There is also Nene, Toto, and Nonoy,” she said on Monday, June 1, noting that similar colloquial nicknames are common in everyday Ilonggo households.

She added that, in the context of the program, “Inday” specifically refers to women beneficiaries.

“It is a generic term but this one is specifically for women, the Inday. There is even a song called Inday in Ilonggo. All Ilonggo women are being represented by Inday,” she said.

Treñas-Chu added that the city government will not rename the program amid the complaint filed before the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“All that is required to be replaced, we replaced it. We reviewed it, and we made sure to follow the guidelines. But this one, since it is a generic term, we did not think that it was necessary because it was for the beneficiaries,” she said.

Despite the standing complaint, the mayor assured beneficiaries that the livelihood program will continue.

The complaint was filed on Thursday, May 28, by lawyer Josiah David Quising, who asked DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla to investigate the program, citing a possible violation of DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2026-006 on the “anti-epal” policy.

Quising raised concern over the use of “Inday” in the program title, noting that it is a nickname publicly associated with the mayor and may constitute prohibited branding on government projects.

In his complaint, Quising cited Treñas-Chu’s 2025 certificate of candidacy, in which her name appeared on the ballot as “INDAY RAISA,” and attached screenshots of Iloilo City Government Facebook posts promoting the program.

The DILG issued Memorandum Circular No. 2026-006 on Jan. 29, directing all local government units and DILG offices to remove the names, images, logos, slogans, or symbols of public officials from government-funded projects, signage, tarpaulins, and related materials.

The policy also bans programs or projects that use acronyms or words resembling the names of politicians, and aims to curb the use of public resources for self-promotion, particularly ahead of elections.

The “TLC ni Inday” program provides PHP 10,000 in capital assistance to beneficiaries for small-scale livelihood activities, including sari-sari stores and food carts.

As of May 2026, the program has assisted at least 145 beneficiaries, according to city data.

The complainant also urged the DILG to review the program’s naming and promotional materials and, if warranted, order the removal or correction of any non-compliant references.

As of April 2026, the DILG in Western Visayas had elevated at least 18 alleged anti-epal violations from across the region to its central office for review.