Raisa Treñas-Chu, Councilors to Take Oath Today

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor-elect Raisa Treñas-Chu is set to take her oath of office today, June 27, ahead of her formal assumption as the city’s first elected woman mayor at noon on Monday, June 30.

Raisa said her inauguration will be a simple and modest ceremony.

She will take her oath before Liga ng mga Barangay President Ma. Irene Ong and a judge.

Also taking their oaths today are the 11 members of the incoming 12th Iloilo City Council, all of whom ran under the Team Uswag coalition.

Eight of the 11 councilors are reelectionists.

The ceremony will be attended by barangay captains, local leaders and supporters who helped in her election victory, according to Raisa.

The outgoing mayor’s daughter has vowed to deliver fast and accessible services under her administration.

“We have only one goal, and that is to make sure our services will be more accessible and fast for everyone,” she said Thursday.

She said the transition from her father, outgoing Mayor Jerry Treñas, has been underway since last week.

She noted that while past transitions typically lasted two days, the presence of more than 40 City Hall offices has extended the current transition to nearly two weeks.

“We are doing it gradually because once we are done with all briefings in all offices, we will review which offices need assistance,” she said.

Raisa emphasized that some offices may require updates or realignments due to Iloilo City’s rapid growth in recent years.

“The city government is not prepared for this kind of growth; that is why we are doubling our efforts to ensure that we keep up,” she said.

She said five city offices are scheduled for meetings before her formal assumption on Monday.

She will begin reviewing task forces and executive orders upon assuming office, with new executive directives planned for release on July 1.

Despite stepping into new leadership, Raisa said she is ready for comparisons with her father.

“My goal is to give public service for all of you to feel that I love you all,” she said.

She added that while she has yet to meet with incoming Vice Mayor Love-Love Baronda, she remains open to reconciling with the Baronda family.

“It’s good that she wants to work together for the city,” Raisa said.