FINALLY! No more fiesta fanfares in city plazas next year

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

THE year 2019 will be the last time that public plazas in the metro will be used for the holding of fiesta and other related activities, according to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.

Treñas said on Monday that he already told barangay captains in the city, particularly in Jaro and Mandurriao district, that they can no longer hold fiesta programs in their public plazas to give way to rehabilitation works.

“I am telling the barangay captains this will probably be the last time nga pausar ko kay pakay-o ta ina,” he said.

The mayor emphasized that public plazas should serve its purpose as a venue for recreation among the residents.

“Ang plaza pa-usar ta lugar nga para recreation sang aton mga pumuluyo,” he stressed.

According to Treñas, all plazas in the metro will undergo rehabilitation with the Mandurriao plaza on top of their list.

“Mandurriao paubrahan na na, ubrahan between P30 to 40 million and so on and so forth. Ang tanan nga plaza, so we are very excited. Indi lang gid pwede nga amo na itsura sang plaza ta,” he said.

The mayor said the rehabilitation plan came after Ilonggo Senator Franklin Drilon asked help from Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) when its top officer visited Iloilo City during the launch of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events (MICE) campaign of Iloilo last week.

“Sa pagbisita ni Department of Tourism (DOT) Sec. Bernadette Puyat, ara man si TIEZA head Pocholo Paragas sang TIEZA and ginhambal ni Sen. Drilon nga ginangayo ta sa siyudad nga pa-ubra ta ang plaza ta so ang tanan ta nga plaza paubra ta,” he said.

Treñas noted barangay officials could make use of gyms for other alternative venues for the staging of their fiesta programs and other related activities.

For years, holding of fiesta-related activities have symbolized the power of barangay captains over City Hall despite the fact that public places are “beyond the commerce of man.”

Most fiesta activities mounted in plazas are rides, ukay-ukay or second-hand clothing bazaars, and agro-industrial trade fairs, among others.