The Iloilo City Solid Waste Management Board passed Resolution No. 31, series of 2009 on November 17 by approving a project on on-site composting of market wastes at the different public markets of this city.

Project proponent, Engr. Raul Gallo of the Office of Public Services said the onsite composting is an actual compliance of Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 on waste diversion and reduction and Republic Act 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009 stabilization of the greenhouse gas concentration and methane gas emission.

Markets are major source of biodegradable wastes that account for some 16 percent of the total waste generation in Iloilo City. The project is expected to reduce the volume of market wastes delivered to the Calajunan dumpsite, Gallo said.

It will also mitigate the cause of climate change by reducing the volume of greenhouse gas emission. Read more »

The city government has contracted many ongoing development programs with international funding agencies and there is an urgent need for the next elected city mayor to honor these commitments in a bid to make this southern city a premier city in the country by 2015.

This was bared by outgoing city mayor Jerry P. Treñas as he is preparing to embark in another political position in the government by running for congressman of this southern city in next year’s election.

“Nagapangamuyo gid ako nga kabay pa padayunon sang madason nga city mayor ang mga programa nga may suporta sang mga organisasyon pangluwas (I pray that the next city mayor will continue the programs supported by international organizations) Treñas said.

The graduating city mayor bolted recently the ruling administrations political party Lakas Kampi CMD to pursue his bid to run for a Congress seat. He will challenge the position of incumbent Cong. Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. of Lakas for the lone city congressional district. Read more »

The span of Gen Luna highway in the city proper will be replanted with pine trees and flowers but not with mixed tree species like eucalyptus, gmelina and mahogany.

This was assured by city mayor Jerry P. Treñas after environmentalists complained to him about the cutting down of 12 old grown pine trees at the highway.

Treñas said the cutting down of trees goes through a process and the Department of Public Works and Highways sought the approval of the city environment and natural resources office (CENRO) to cut down the trees to give way for the construction of a second flyover project here.

The multi-million peso second flyover project will be located at the junction of Jalandoni and Gen Luna streets and DPWH has started the clearing of the area including cutting down of trees and the transfer of electric posts and waiting sheds. Read more »

The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) has observed and lauded three best practices of the city government here in solving its solid waste management problem.

This was disclosed by Dr. Johannes Paul, team leader of the GTZ-AHT SWM4LGUs support project which rendered technical to the city on its solid waste management program.

Dr. Paul said the city government, in cooperation with the private sector, has one of the best approaches in recycling of garbage starting from the organization of waste pickers, factory of useful products made from recycled garbage, and junkshops organization.

The city has also an comprehensive community-based recycling program that allow usually slum dwellers to gather and sell recycled materials, including the solid waste fair conducted every month in cooperation with a shopping mall here that encourages waste segregation and reuse of recycled materials. Read more »

Policemen at the Regional Office 6 at Camp Delgado have accepted the challenge to make their police facility as an environment-friendly police camp as well as the first police camp outside Metro Manila to have a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

SSupt. Marietto Valerio, chief of the PRO6 support service staff, exhorted the policemen to comply with the requirement on solid wastes after more than 50 policemen participated in the information, education and communications campaign spearheaded by solid waste specialist Armando Dayrit upon the direction EMB Reg. Dir. Oscar Cabanayan.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources –Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) is currently going to government offices in Western Visayas to bring the message of proper solid waste disposal management and segregation at source. Read more »

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas is strongly supporting the plan of Police CSupt. Isagani Guevas in establishing a police metro force composed of elite members of the regional mobile group (RMG) to combat the rising criminalities in this southern city.

Treñas said the police metro force will operate initially in areas under the Metro Iloilo Guimaras Development Council (MIGEDC) as an immediate strike force against criminals and bukas kotse gang and akyat bahay perpetrators.

The chief city executive recently met with police station commanders to discuss incidents in their respective area of responsibility.

Treñas also exhorted policemen to coordinate closely with security guards of business establishments. Security agencies are likewise, exhorted to add to number of their security guards, review their security measures and have their guards undergo comprehensive trainings. Read more »

The city mayor here is asking closer coordination of police and security guards of business establishments to combat the rising tide of criminalities especially the operation of basag kotse gangs.

The city peace and order council (CPOC) gave greater emphasis on criminalities in the city in its conference today, November 10 and its assessment on the measures already implemented to deter petty crimes and the presence of kidnap-for-ransom personalities and holduppers operating in this southern city.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said he is supporting the necessary equal force policy of PNP Reg. Dir. Isagani Cuevas in fighting off the criminals as what had happened in Makati City recently.

The city mayor said the criminalities should be stopped in their nefarious and criminal activities with impunity and this can be done with equal force from the policemen. He said there must be more police visibility and the deployment of more plainclothes policemen in areas where there are more people and cars. Read more »

President is slated to come in Iloilo on November 19, 2009 to lead the groundbreaking rites of the second fly-over project here under the President’s Bridge Program to be executed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

City mayor Jerry P. Treñas said that he was informed of the President arrival in this city by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

The DPWH has completed its soil testing and started cleaning the area of traffic islands and electric posts for the eventual construction of the project.

The President will be accompanied by newly appointed DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo in laying down the groundworks for a multi-million peso second flyover project at the corner of Jalandoni and Gen. Luna streets city proper, few meters away from the first flyover project at the junction of Infante and Gen. Luna streets. Read more »

Collaborative Governance in Cities and Communities of the Western Visayas Stories from 15 Years of Philippines-Canada Cooperation

About This Casebook

Urban centres in the Asia-Pacific region are rapidly growing. While it took London 130 years to grow from a population of 1 million to 8 million, Bangkok took only 45 years, Dhaka 37 years and Seoul only 25 years. According to the UN Habitat, by 2020, two-thirds of the urban population in Southeast Asia will live in only five mega urban regions, with Manila tying with Bangkok in the second slot of having the largest population by that time.

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