All taxicabs here are expected to start issuing receipts by October, a move that assures passenger safety and more taxes to the government.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-6) Regional Director Porfirio Clavel said the receipts should include the name of the taxi, the fare, the date, contact number of the taxi and tax identification number.

Clavel discussed with the officers and members of the Association of Taxi Operators in Panay this new scheme on Monday.

Some taxi operators expressed reservations. No commercial establishment sells receipt-issuing taxi meters here. Read more »

SOLVING TRAFFIC

Technical Working Group members of MIGEDC-JICA under Jose A. Tengco, City Hall employee assigned at the Iloilo City Planning Office (center, seated 4th from L-R), gathered during a meeting at Breakthrough Restaurant in Villa. The TWG members are being trained to be of technical assistance to their respective LGUs on matters involving local transportation and traffic management.

PARKING on and off the road have imposed a big problem in traffic management in Iloilo City. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – Iloilo City is again a recipient of a flyover project under the “MEGA Bridges for Urban and Rural Development Project” that will be funded by the French Government.

The flyover, which is proposed to be constructed at the junction of General Luna-Jalandoni streets, will be implemented under the President’s Bridge Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Emil K. Sadain, executive director of the President’s Bridge Program in a letter to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has requested the assistance of latter’s office for the conduct of soil/geotechnical investigation as part of the design of the substructure.

The Woodfields Consultants Inc has been tapped as project consultant of the project.

Meanwhile, Treñas, in consultation with Sangguniang Panlungsod’s chairman on traffic committee councilor Erwin Plagata, disclosed that they will also look into other areas where traffic congestion is experienced and compared them with the proposed location.

One area is the junction of the national road in Taft North and Diversion Road in Mandurriao.

“This will be the second flyover for Iloilo City,” he said.

Treñas said there was no mention as to the budget allotted for the project.

The first flyover was constructed at the junction of General Luna and Infante streets, which is worth about P400 million.

Philippine News Agency

City Mayor Jerry Treñas expects the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) to fulfill their commitment to address the water needs of the city as thousands of visitors are expected to visit the city for the Dinagyang 2009 festival this week.

The MIWD cut-down the water supply in the city for three days last week to pave way for the bypass connection from the town of Cabatuan to its water basin in Sta. Barbara. “Before the bypass connection was made, there is still water supply in our house but now there is no water coming from our faucets,” Treñas said.

He said he is in constant communication with the MIWD officials in checking the update on the water supply in the city. The mayor said he was informed that the water basin in Sta. Barbara is full of silt and caused disruption on the distribution of water supply to its concessionaires. Read more »

Newly-installed regional executive director Ricardo L. Calderon of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-6) said they will focus on the rehabilitation of critical watershed areas through the establishment of upland development programs in the region.

“Critical watershed areas support major irrigation projects that are expected to boost the production of farmers and agriculture industry, being the bread and butter of Western Visayas.”

“Water is always a problem everywhere so we have to focus on watershed areas that really need rehabilitation,” said Calderon.

The DENR-6 chief also noted that priority watersheds including Maasin Watershed in Iloilo will be highlighted in discussions during briefing with top officials here.

Aside from watersheds, Calderon said they will also look into matters that concern land management.

Philippine News Agency

Public Safety and Security

• Information Dissemination

A.I Fire Prevention Month Celebration
A.2 National Disaster Consciousness Month Celebration
A.3 Crime Prevention Week Celebration (preparation of flyers, posters, etc.)

• Improve Technical Capabilities

B. Services improvement
B.1 Radio communications training attended by committee member agency
B.2 Conduct seminar on Writ of Amparo

• Improve community participation

C.1 Best practices/models in Public Safety and Security (Search for the Best of the year

• Improve Coordination and Networking

D. Coordination and Administration
D.1 Quarterly meetings

Environmental Management Committee

• Creation of LGU’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO)

Meetings
Trainings/capacity-building for MENRO-designates
Establishment of MENRO as permanent positions Read more »

THE multi-billion peso worth of devastation caused by Typhoon Frank last June 21-22, 2008 and its aftermath, including government’s rehabilitation efforts, remain the top story in Iloilo province for 2008.

Other year-ender stories were about efforts to rehabilitate Panay Island provinces, prop up the local economy, and resuscitate the business climate reeling from the effects of the super typhoon that hit the island and the rest of Western Visayas.

On the other hand, despite the crisis caused by the global economic meltdown, Iloilo appears to be sustaining its development in 2009.

Iloilo Mayor Jerry P. Treñas and Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. agree that the interests of the city and province should come first before political skirmishes. The two are at the forefront of rehabilitation efforts.

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