ILOILO City is raring to show off its accomplishments in four years under President Benigno Aquino III’s administration and be rated as one of the most progressive and development oriented cities in the entire country.
With funding of more than P4 billion from the National Government, the projects are located mostly in Iloilo City and initiated by Senator Franklin M. Drilon as Aquino’s commitment to the Ilonggos.
The unprecedented infrastructure projects spur the growth and economic development of this city on top of the P11.2 billion Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project being implemented in the province of Iloilo that further showcased the city and province as the next important stop-over and business location in Visayas.
The city projects include roads, bridges, fish port complex, housing units for informal settlers, hospital, commercial seaports, slaughterhouse, an international convention center, drainage system, historical sites, and river esplanades implemented by the government agencies in Western Visayas.
With the Iloilo and Batiano rivers as anchors for development, Drilon has prioritized the various infrastructure projects with emphasis on roads and bridges that spur the opening up new areas for development within the city jurisdiction.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is working on a total of 13 road sections comprising the almost P1 billion circumferential road project that spins from Jaro district to the districts of Arevalo and Mandurriao passing through the municipalities of Oton, San Miguel, Pavia, Sta Barbara, Leganes, and Zarraga.
When completed before the term of the president expires in 2016, the circumferential road will expectedly shorten travel time of commuters from the north and south of the province to the Iloilo international airport located in the central town of Cabatuan, Iloilo.
The completed radial road connects to the circumferential road thru a newly completed floodway bridge to the Capiz road in the municipality of Zarraga.
DPWH has completed the construction of Esplanade I as a new fun and relaxation area for the Ilonggos. It is currently constructing Esplanade II at the other side of the Iloilo River.
DPWH also started the construction of road widening and expansion of the Senator Benigno Aquino Avenue known as the diversion road, and the ongoing roads reblocking and upgrading and construction of four city bridges.
The improvement and rehabilitation of the Iloilo-Dumangas coastal road and the upgrading of the city drainage system were also started.
