Iloilo Approves PHP30.1 Billion 2026 Investment Plan

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo Provincial Development Council (PDC), chaired by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., approved the 2026 Annual Investment Program (AIP) amounting to PHP30,112,221,330 during its en banc meeting on Friday, May 16.

The AIP serves as the province’s work and financial plan for the year, outlining priority programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) to be funded by the local government.

A large portion of the budget—PHP13.9 billion—will go to the Social Services Sector, followed by PHP7.1 billion for the Economic Services Sector, PHP6.3 billion for the Other Services Sector, and PHP2.7 billion for the General Public Services Sector.

Included in the AIP is funding for the full implementation of the PHP20-per-kilo rice program, which is part of the province’s Siguradong Pagkain, Tiyak na Galing-Kalusugan (SiPag at TiyaGa) for MoRProGRes sa Bagong Pilipinas initiative.

Defensor signed Executive Order No. 040, Series of 2025, on April 28, officially launching the program in alignment with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign promise to make rice more affordable for vulnerable communities.

The initial rollout of the rice subsidy will prioritize households with undernourished children enrolled in the provincial Adequate Food Production, Rehabilitation of Malnutrition (ART) Response program.

The PDC also endorsed the Department of Agriculture’s farm bridges project to be implemented in Barangay Camandag in Leon, Barangay Gemumua Agahon in Passi City, Barangay Abaca in San Enrique, and Barangay Nueva Invencion in Barotac Viejo.

Also discussed during the meeting were updates on ongoing provincial programs, including the Purok Resilience Program and the proposed Provincial Government Center in Santa Barbara.

Present during the en banc session were representatives of the five district congressmen, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members or their representatives, municipal mayors or their representatives, provincial government department heads, and representatives from civil society and non-government organizations.