Iloilo governor eyes roads, health, farms in Marcos SONA

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. expects President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to reaffirm his administration’s priorities on infrastructure, health care, and agriculture when he delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address on July 27.

At a news conference July 22, Defensor said infrastructure is expected to remain the centerpiece of the president’s address because of its role in driving economic growth.

“One of our expectations is the President’s direction on infrastructure, particularly the faster implementation of high-impact infrastructure projects.

“The main event of every SONA is the infrastructure component since it is an economic driver,” he said.

The governor also expressed hope that Marcos would mention major infrastructure projects in Western Visayas, particularly the proposed Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges and the Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway.

The Panay-Guimaras-Negros project covers 32.47 kilometers of bridges and connecting roads that would link Panay, Guimaras, and Negros.

The proposed Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway is envisioned as a 210-kilometer, four-lane toll road traversing 20 municipalities in the three Panay provinces.

“It will be good if the President mentions the Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway.

“We need this in our province,” Defensor said.

Beyond infrastructure, Defensor said he expects the president to sustain the implementation of Universal Health Care.

Republic Act No. 11223, signed in 2019, seeks to guarantee Filipinos equitable access to quality and affordable health care and automatically includes them in the National Health Insurance Program.

Defensor also identified agriculture as a key priority, particularly rice initiatives and regulatory measures.

“We are happy because we are totally aligned with the national government’s food security programs,” he added.

The governor said he would be unable to attend the event because of a prior official commitment.

Malacañang earlier announced that this year’s SONA would be “simple but dignified” amid the country’s challenges.