Western Visayas execs expect infra boost in Marcos’ SONA

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Local executives in Western Visayas are hopeful that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will highlight ongoing and future infrastructure projects for the region in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22.

Capiz Governor Fredenil Castro urged Marcos to invest in infrastructure projects, particularly the Panay River Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP), which is expected to address recurring flooding in Capiz and other parts of Iloilo.

“Infrastructure should be fixed in addition to all other matters that the government could do for our people,” he said in an interview.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) recently confirmed to Daily Guardian that they are targeting to start the P19.78 billion PRBIDP next year, with completion eyed before the end of Marcos’ term.

Earlier this March, Marcos directed the NIA to finish the construction of PRBIDP by 2028.

The PRBIDP is among the 10 Infrastructure Flagship Projects of the Regional Development Council-Western Visayas and is listed as a key project in the Western Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028.

With two years in the presidency, Castro gave Marcos a passing grade, citing the president’s effort to get involved at the grassroots level.

“He actually finds time to talk to our people, which is admirable and commendable,” he said.

Castro pointed out that two years is not enough for the Marcos administration to fix every problem the country has, including issues in education, transportation, environment, and the rising cost of goods and services.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas hopes that Marcos will address the privatization of the Iloilo International Airport, the P19.7 billion Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) in Calinog town, and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project in his SONA.

Marcos inaugurated the JRMP II on July 16. The project’s overall physical accomplishment is at 75.51 percent as of the end of June, with the remaining civil works focused on the construction of the high line canal, and the main and lateral canals.

Meanwhile, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao expects the president to mention developments in Antique, particularly the Panay East-West Lateral Road, which connects Antique, Central and Northern Iloilo, and Capiz.

The Antique governor also wants Marcos to discuss his plans regarding the ongoing dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

“I am very concerned with that since it talks about the safety of our fellow Filipinos,” she said.

Under Marcos’ watch, Chinese forces have been more aggressive and hostile against Philippine troops, involving shadowing and ramming of Filipino vessels and instances of using hazardous water cannons that have injured local soldiers.

Cadiao rated Marcos an 8, citing the president’s three visits to the province.

He has visited Antique during Severe Tropical Storm Paeng in November 2022, the distribution of rice and government assistance in October last year, and the distribution of financial assistance under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk earlier this June.

“He is the only president who has come here. When I hear about the other developments he has accomplished in other provinces, my score will probably rise to 9 or 9.5,” she added.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. expects Marcos will mention Iloilo in the SONA and other plans that are not yet in the drawing board.

“What we want to happen for Iloilo is already in the attention of the president and our job is to push for it,” he added, noting the big-ticket projects of the Marcos administration for Iloilo and the rest of Panay Island.

Defensor refused to give a rating or figure to Marcos’ performance in the past two years, saying, “We are thankful that we are being prioritized by the president.”

“We are always at the forefront in the programs and priorities of the administration and based on that, we are happy and we are thankful. We are looking forward to working more closely with the administration,” he added.

In August 2023, Defensor Jr. joined the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party of the president.

Defensor, who currently sits as the regional chair of PFP, said the party shift is a better political move “for the total development of the province.”