Mayor bans use of her name in city sports events

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu has ordered an outright ban on the use of her name in city-run sporting events after drawing backlash for its widespread use in various tournaments during the 2026 Dinagyang Festival.

The policy is contained in an executive order signed on October 23 and released to the public a day later.

“This practice of naming events after the incumbent mayor has detracted from the main purpose of these sporting events, which is to highlight the benefits of an active lifestyle for residents of the city,” the city mayor said.

Treñas-Chu specifically stated in the order that city-organized sporting events “shall refrain” from bearing the mayor’s name.

Meanwhile, events organized by the private sector that seek to use or include the name or likeness of the mayor must first secure clearance from the Office of the City Mayor.

Earlier this week, Treñas-Chu came under fire after netizens noticed that 14 out of 22 scheduled sports events for the 2026 Dinagyang Festival were explicitly named after her.

Executive Assistant for Youth and Sports Rudiver Jungco Sr., who posted the events’ promotional materials on his Facebook page, told Daily Guardian that the naming of the events after the mayor was done at the request of private sports organizers.

He added that the practice had been customary in past years, saying organizers preferred using the mayor’s name to lend legitimacy to their events and attract more participants.

Jungco also admitted that the materials were released without the mayor’s approval.

 

RAISA AND RISE

Several of Treñas-Chu’s flagship programs and governance frameworks appear to play on her first name, “Raisa,” which sounds similar to “rise” or “raise.”

Her central governance slogan, the “Rise-to-Action Framework,” mirrors her name both phonetically and conceptually — as in “Raisa to Action.”

Under this framework, the city launched initiatives anchored on three “Rise-to-Action” pillars: Rising Health and Social Services, Rising Economy, and Rising Livability.

Among the associated programs are RISEMed (free medicines), RISEstart (rehabilitation services), RAISE Mental Health Program, RAIS-Sustansya (food mix initiative), and RAISkolar (scholarship and mentorship).

Treñas-Chu also launched RISEABLE (for children with special needs), RISE MERKADO (market modernization), RISE Ilonggo (livelihood training), and sustainability projects like RISE to Greens, SunRISE, and Rise to Kabalaka.