Iloilo City to fast-track housing for coastal families

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Relocation of families living in Iloilo City’s high-risk coastal areas will take center stage in 2026, as the city government will speed up efforts to provide safe and sustainable housing for families in vulnerable communities.

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said on Wednesday, Dec. 17, that her administration will focus on strengthening its comprehensive housing program, PASILONG (Pabalay para sa Pamilyang Ilonggo), which was launched earlier this October.

She said land development has already started in the West Habog-Habog and San Juan barangays of Molo, which are expected to accommodate more than 180 families to be identified by the Iloilo City Housing and Land Office (ICHLO).

The beneficiaries will come from coastal barangays that are frequently affected by flooding and are often forced to evacuate during calamities, according to the city mayor.

“We need to relocate them because if we only give assistance to them every day, until when can we give that? We have to break the cycle of poverty,” she said.

The mayor explained that simply giving financial aid for house repairs allows the cycle to continue, compared with relocating families to safer areas where they can establish a stable life.

She said the ICHLO has already clustered households in need of relocation, with priority given to families living in the first layer of coastal communities, who are most exposed to risks.

Treñas-Chu added that at least three more sites are being considered for future relocation projects.

She added that the relocation sites are being planned as integrated communities where housing and livelihood opportunities are located in the same area.

For large relocation sites, she said the approach includes integrating livelihood components, such as designated areas for temporary stalls or talipapa, to provide income-generating opportunities for homeowners.

“If they need funds to maintain their households, they can earn from these livelihood programs,” she said.