Treñas-Chu: City projects guided by science

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said her administration does not politicize projects initiated by political rivals, including the Baronda sisters, emphasizing that city programs must be coordinated, evidence-based, and designed for public benefit.

“It is always that it was stopped because it is politicized, no,” Treñas-Chu said Thursday, Feb. 19, when asked to react to former Senate President Franklin Drilon’s remarks that a “united political leadership” drove the city’s infrastructure gains.

“You know if we politicize it, who is at the disadvantage? If it is a good project, then why should we oppose it?” the mayor added.

Treñas-Chu said that to avoid accusations of partisanship involving initiatives of Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace “Love-Love” Baronda and lone district Rep. Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda, all programs must undergo careful study and be supported by data.

“We have to make sure that our projects are scientific, evidence-based, and we have to make sure that the public will benefit. That is why we cannot just implement programs just because we want to. We have to ask why? Why that program?” she said.

She added that the city government prioritizes programs that improve local conditions and are implemented with proper coordination among agencies and stakeholders.

Treñas-Chu stressed that personal or political differences should not hinder development efforts that serve the broader interests of Iloilo City residents.

“At the end of the day, if we make projects and unite for the city, the first question we should ask is if it is for the betterment of the city?” she said.

The mayor cited flood-control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, saying some initiatives of the Iloilo City District Engineering Office were not tailored to the specific needs of certain communities.

“They are just doing it. It is generic. It has not been customized to the needs of the area,” she said.

The mayor’s remarks come amid ongoing political dynamics in Iloilo City, where infrastructure and development projects have often been linked to collaboration — or rivalry — among local and national officials.