ILOILO CITY – Mayor Jerry P. Treñas issued a warning today to all tagged families living along the danger zones here, especially those along the Dungon Creek and Jaro River who registered refusal to transfer to the city relocation site in San Isidro, Jaro that their relocation award will have to be forfeited in favor of other relocates.

Showing his strong political will to relocate the endangered families, Treñas said their houses along the danger zones will have to be demolished by the city government.

The bitter lessons learned from Typhoon Frank last June 2008, is a reminder that those living along the rivers and creeks will have to go to amore safe place such as the relocation site, Treñas said.

The Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (ICUPAO) has tagged 614 families living along the Dungon Creek in Mandurriao and Jaro districts on top of more than 2,300 families living the Jaro River. Read more »

ILOLO CITY- More than rice scientists in the country congregate in this city to participate in the national evaluation of rice varieties in 14 rice locations in the Philippines.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) spearheaded the annual meeting of the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) and the Seed Selection Board among members conducting the National Cooperators Test (NCT) on rice varietal improvement on April 29 to 30, 2009.

Vivencio Mamaril of the Bureau of Plant Industry and NSIC said the NCT is a science-based like a beauty contest among rice varieties that rice farmers will have to choose from.

The rice varieties underwent a two year test including 2 wet seasons and 2 dry season on top of some 8 to 10 years development by breeders before it is accepted in the NCT. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – This southern city’s calamity fund of more than P46 million or 5 percent of the annual budget of P930 million this year is expected to increase by 10 percent in five years starting this year.

This was arrived at after the Senate Committee on Finance approved this week the P8 billion Paglaum Fund for rehabilitation of Typhoon Frank-affected areas in Western Visayas.

The Senate approval showed that “notwithstanding the provision of section 324 (d) of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the budget of local government units covered under this act, for unforeseen expenditure arising from the occurrence of calamities shall be increased to 10 percent of the estimated revenue from regular sources. The said rate shall automatically revert to 5 percent as provided under RA 7160 after the expiration of the term of the Region 6 Rehabilitation and Development Commission.” Read more »

ILOILO CITY – “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” must be in the mind of city mayor Jerry P. Treñas by asking constituents here to be vigilant on the swine flu outbreak currently rocking the United States and Mexico.
Treñas said that people must report at once any suspicion of an outbreak case in the barangays but reiterated that no swine flu outbreak is reported in the Philippines.
“Health and agriculture authorities reported that the country is safe from swine flu as of today, but the virus continues to spread,” Treñas said.
However, the health department in Western Visayas said that it is still safe to eat pork and other pork processed products in the region since there is no reported case of swine flu.
Dr. Jessie Glenn Alonsabe, head, Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU), said the public should be wary of eating too much pork due to its fat content. But he said the people should be vigilant because spread of virus is unstoppable. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The approval of the P8 billion Paglaum Fund for the rehabilitation of typhoon ravaged areas in Western Visayas brings hope to the city government here which long wanted to dredge up the 3.5 kilometer stretch of Dungon Creek from Manduriao to La Paz district out to the Iloilo River.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas disclosed that he went to Manila on Monday, April 27 to observe the Senate deliberation and eventual approval of the Fund sponsored by Senator Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

House Bill 5604 earlier introduced by Iloilo Cong. Arthur Defensor, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Antique Cong. Exequiel Javier was ably supported by Senate Bill 2457 introduced by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Bill 2622 introduced by Senator Mar Roxas in realizing the rehabilitation fund for damaged agricultural areas, infrastructures and education facilities in the region amounting to P14 billion. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The technical working group of this city’s solid waste management board chaired by Mayor Jerry P. Treñas is finalizing the solid waste management plan to beat the deadline of the national government’s grant of 40 percent from its national SWM Program for local government units.

This was announced by Treñas after a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and DENR Secretary Lito Atienza recently to discuss the many provisions of Republic Act 9003 and other environmental laws.

Treñas said the city may foresee a bigger grant from the national government should its SWM Plan be implemented immediately within this year.

The city chief executive is also ordering the fasttrack implementation of projects at the Calajunan disposal area in a move to convert the same into a sanitary landfill.

The city has contracted a P90 million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines and 8 projects are already completed, 4 ongoing projects, 1 project already awarded and 5 are for checking. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The city’s rehabilitation project to be funded from the government’s Paglaum Fund is expected to commence by June 2009 by dredging the Dungon Creek up to Magsaysay Village spanning from Mandurriao to La Paz districts.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has programmed the dredging project with some P50 million funding share from the downscaled P8 billion typhoon-affected rehabilitation fund for Western Visayas.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, however, said some 615 families living along the Dungon Creek up to Magsaysay village will be affected and most of them are soon to be relocated at the San Isidro relocation site in Jaro district. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – Two major development infrastructure projects for Iloilo City and Guimaras are upcoming after feasibility studies conducted by consultants of the ADB/GTZ/SIDA – assisted Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) were presented this week to city mayor Jerry P. Treñas and other city officials with the studies covering the proposed Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal System (GIFTS) and the downtown Central Business District (CBD) revitalization projects.

The city chief executive, also chairman of the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC) said an additional grant of US$80,000 for the studies was granted by CDIA and Asian Development Bank to further upgrade the studies. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The first commercially viable coal-fired power plant in Western Visayas will be commissioned by the last quarter of 2010 at its site at Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City. .

This was announced by Engr. Adrian Moncada, president of the Global Business Power Corp., proponent of the P16 billion power plant investments during the Power 101 power situationer report conducted by the Iloilo Business Club was April 17, 2009 at the Hotel del Rio here.

Moncada admitted that landfill development is currently ongoing in the 24-hectare site and actual construction will start by July or August this year. Read more »

ILOILO CITY – The Australian ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Rod Smith will personally lead in the turn-over ceremonies on Thursday, April 16, 2009 of 10 brand-new computers to students of the Jaro National High School in Jaro district as a show of concern of the Australian people to victims of super typhoon Frank last June that devastated the city and the school in particular.

City mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the Aussie ambassador made the commitment of assistance to the city government after being informed of the gargantuan devastation left by the typhoon in public infrastructures such as schools, health centers, hospitals, residences, livelihood opportunities and access to social services.

Treñas said the Australian embassy based in Metro Manila had contacted his office for the computer donation as the Australians little help to alleviate the plight of public high school students severely affected by the typhoon. Read more »