Wanted: Forward-Looking Budgets

As Iloilo City and Province prepare to allocate a combined budget exceeding P8 billion for 2025, local leaders must shift their focus from short-term solutions to long-term investments that can genuinely uplift their communities.

With elections for the highest offices uncontested, voters may not witness the usual flood of campaign promises or financial bonanzas often dangled to gain support.

But this provides a rare opportunity to invest strategically rather than pander to populism.

While the city’s and province’s budgets are centered on essentials such as operating expenses and debt payments, more attention is needed on future-proofing the local economy.

The proposed budgets of over P4 billion for both the city and province present an opportunity to direct resources toward essential programs that can uplift the poorest sectors, many of whom continue to struggle post-pandemic.

Dole-outs, while providing immediate relief, cannot be the centerpiece of the 2025 budget. The lasting impact of the COVID-19 crisis on low-income households requires a more comprehensive strategy. Investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and digital connectivity are needed to “future-proof” Iloilo City and the province.

While initiatives such as the RISE Program in Iloilo City and Governor Defensor’s focus on road connectivity and internet access are steps in the right direction, the rhetoric around these programs must be matched with tangible, measurable outcomes. The tendency to package these initiatives with fancy acronyms and political slogans—like the “Rais and Shine” and “Rais UP” campaigns—risks diverting attention from the substantive work required to build resilience.

What the people of Iloilo need is a detailed and transparent commitment to development that extends beyond the election season. The local governments should prioritize sustainable economic investments that lift the poorest sectors, which were hit hardest by the pandemic. Simply handing out temporary relief or maintaining the status quo is not enough to address the long-term challenges of poverty and unemployment.

Similarly, the province’s emphasis on “developmental” spending should prioritize long-term infrastructure projects, particularly those aimed at expanding electricity, water systems, and internet access to underserved communities. The province’s growing Local Economic Enterprise Office budget, especially its increased allocation for district hospitals, reflects a welcome priority on improving public health services.

At this point in Iloilo’s history, there is a unique opportunity to channel resources into programs that will build resilience, foster innovation, and ensure inclusivity. Allocating funds to infrastructure, education, and healthcare should go beyond basic upkeep and toward transformative projects that future generations will benefit from.

The provincial and city governments should seize this moment to align their budgets with the actual needs of their constituents—not just for the immediate future but for years to come. If Iloilo is to rise, as its leaders say, its budget should rise to the challenge of creating lasting change.