LEARNING FROM ILOILO CITY: Robredo Highlights City’s Cleanliness, Innovations

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Former Vice President Leni Robredo praised Iloilo City for its cleanliness and urban management, emphasizing that maintaining a livable city requires continuous effort.

“If there was one lesson we learned, the fight to keep the city clean, efficient, and good is a continuing fight. It’s not over just because you already fixed it. After all, fixing it is a daily effort,” Robredo said during her visit to Iloilo City on Wednesday, March 5.

Robredo, who is running for mayor of Naga City, was joined by Naga City councilors and department heads for a benchmarking activity with the Iloilo City government.

She described the activity as an opportunity to learn and draw inspiration from Iloilo’s successful urban practices.

While acknowledging that every city has unique challenges, Robredo noted that observing effective strategies can spark ideas for improvement in their own context.

One project that stood out to Robredo was the Iloilo River Esplanade, which transformed the Iloilo River from a neglected and polluted waterway into a vibrant, eco-friendly public space.

“We think that a lot of things here are replicable to us in Naga, especially the Iloilo River Esplanade. The Naga River is also central to our city, but we have not yet fully rehabilitated it,” she said.

The Iloilo River rehabilitation project focused on cleaning the river and developing a green oasis through extensive mangrove plantations.

Robredo attributed the river’s transformation to community ownership, emphasizing that public participation is crucial for sustaining progress.

She stressed the importance of making residents feel that they are part of the solution to local problems.

“The beginning is always painful, but once people see proof that a concept works, they take ownership of maintaining the cleanliness of the river,” Robredo said.

She also highlighted the need for strong and inspiring leadership to motivate communities to actively address local and national challenges.

Without effective leadership, Robredo warned, citizens may lose enthusiasm for participating in civic programs.

In addition to environmental initiatives, Robredo expressed interest in replicating Iloilo City’s underground cabling project in Calle Real, as well as the Iloilo City Action and Resilience Centers, which focus on disaster risk reduction and management.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas underscored the role of leadership in providing vision and direction, while crediting department heads and the city council for implementing these plans.

He stressed that addressing corruption and ensuring transparency are essential for building public trust and improving city operations.

“The first thing I did when I became mayor in 2019 was dismiss several department heads—some for graft, some for immorality. I faced 18 Ombudsman cases at that time, all of which were dismissed. You have to be very strong-willed,” Treñas said.

The mayor also emphasized the importance of teamwork among department heads, city councilors, and the vice mayor, noting that collective efforts lead to more effective governance and sustained community development.