‘TEMPORARY IN NATURE’: Treñas lifts cease order but DPWH projects still on hold

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Less than a week after issuing a cease and desist order (CDO), Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas has withdrawn it against the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) due to redundancies in its enforcement.

In a letter to ICDEO officer-in-charge Roy Pacanan on Tuesday, July 29, Treñas said the CDO was “temporary in nature” and intended only until an “objective, scientific, and environmental study” could determine whether reclamation and infrastructure projects contribute to widespread flooding in the city.

Projects under review include those in Buntatala Creek, Dungon Creek, Calubihan/Desamparados Creek and the Iloilo River mouth in Barangay Mohon.

These projects involve slope protection structures, bike lanes and access roads.

Treñas said the decision to initiate the review was made in agreement with DPWH Region 6 Director Joel Limpengco and Assistant Director Jose Al Fruto.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan also supported the initiative and agreed to deploy personnel to assist in a joint study with independent experts.

“Taking Secretary Bonoan’s action plan to conduct a review and assessment study with experts on the said projects somehow means the objective has already been achieved, which brought me to decide to withdraw the CDO,” Treñas said.

Despite the formal withdrawal, Treñas clarified that construction remains suspended while the study is ongoing.

Experts from the University of the Philippines Diliman will lead the third-party assessment to evaluate the projects’ “functionality, effectiveness, and environmental impact.”

Treñas reminded Pacanan that proper coordination requires more than submitting reports or requesting road closures.

“Proper coordination begins at the initial stage of project preparation and requires regular updates, as the welfare of the Ilonggos is the primary consideration for any project implemented in Iloilo City,” she said.

While expressing support for initiatives like bike lanes, Treñas raised concerns about their location.

“If constructed along creeks or any bodies of water that serve as natural waterways, these become not only hazardous but criminally irresponsible,” she said.

“I have made my point clear, and I expect full cooperation from the DPWH,” Treñas added.

Earlier, ICDEO’s Pacanan pushed back against the CDO, arguing it had no legal basis.

Citing Republic Act No. 8975, he said local governments are barred from stopping national infrastructure projects unless ordered by the Supreme Court.

He maintained that the city’s legal authority applies only to local projects it has permitted and warned of possible legal repercussions if the city insists on halting construction.

Pacanan also raised the possibility of invoking the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in response to what he viewed as unwarranted obstruction.