In memoir, Drilon devotes chapter to Iloilo projects from ‘insertions’

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Ilonggo former Senate President Franklin Drilon has devoted an entire chapter of his autobiography to the infrastructure projects he said he funded and conceptualized for Iloilo through legislative “insertions” during his 34 years in government.

“Being Frank: A Memoir,” a 254-page book, chronicles Drilon’s role in major Philippine legislation and dramatic political moments, such as the 2000–2001 impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada, alongside reflections from his decades-long public service.

One of its six chapters, Chapter 5, is titled “Putting Iloilo on the Map,” with the subtitle “Senate President in the Morning, District Engineer by Afternoon.”

“This is my life for 34 years in government. And a major portion of this book will be about Iloilo and what we have done here,” he said at a press conference.

Drilon also sought to reclaim the term “insertions,” now often linked to graft and corruption, saying it was the mechanism he used to fund and conceptualize key projects in Iloilo during his time in the Senate.

“What is significant in today’s context is that what you see around Iloilo is, you would be surprised, insertions which have a bad name today because it is the source of graft. But here in Iloilo, insertion—you can see that all the projects that we have undertaken here are insertions,” he stressed.

Drilon cited the Iloilo Sunset Boulevard, a scenic 5-kilometer four-lane road along the north bank of the Iloilo River in Iloilo City and Oton.

The road project officially opened to vehicles in January 2025 and aims to ease traffic on the Iloilo–Antique Road.

“I funded that. I was the one who conceptualized that and funded it out of my insertions in the last year of my term as a senator. I was the one who saw that we need that kind of road network because of the traffic being caused, particularly in Arevalo and in Molo Plaza,” he said.

The PHP 2.26 billion project includes bike lanes, sidewalks, viewing decks, solar LED lights, drainage, and esplanades for leisure activities such as jogging, birdwatching, and sunset viewing.

Other infrastructure projects facilitated by Drilon include the expansion of Diversion Road into the 10-lane Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, the Iloilo River Esplanade, the completion of Iloilo International Airport in 2005, the Iloilo Convention Center, and the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II.

He is also the proponent of the controversial Ungka and Aganan flyovers in Pavia, Iloilo, and the now-embattled Buhang Flyover in Jaro.

“The district engineers then were considered the working bureaucrats. So I coined for myself the title ‘District Engineer by the Afternoon’ because the district engineers then, unlike the district engineers today, really were workaholics or professional bureaucrats who would do the job honestly,” he said.

Now 80 years old, Drilon said the realization of mortality prompted him to write the memoir, saying he wanted to place his work on record for history to judge.

He added that the book is also meant to convey lessons to the youth, particularly the value of democracy, patience, and adherence to the rule of law amid what he described as a growing culture of impunity.

“I want to show our youth the value of believing in democracy and the value of being patient, of not cutting corners. I wanted to leave behind a legacy where I can show that there is value in adhering to the rule of law,” he emphasized.

Drilon first launched his book in Manila on Monday, Feb. 9. Copies of the book are set to be reprinted in Iloilo for local distribution.