This year’s 4th Regional Development Council (RDC) VI meeting was hosted by the Province of Capiz last December 4, 2009 held at the Hall of Governors, Provincial Capitol in Roxas City. Chaired by Antique Governor Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez, the RDC is the highest policy-making and planning body of the region.

Capiz Governor Victor A. Tanco, Sr. welcomed the RDC VI members and the Provincial Planning and Development Office gave a brief video presentation of the Province’s major accomplishments and development directions. Selected as the venue of next year’s ONE Visayas Summit for Culture, Arts and Heritage in Roxas City, Mr. Alfonsos Tesoro of the Capiz Provincial Tourism Office presented the preparations undertaken by the province for the event which will involve various selected towns of the province where major activities will be held. The Summit will showcase the cultural aspect of the entire Visayas Region from Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte and Samar.

The body discussed, among others, the various committees’ issues and concerns, as well as, accomplishments, projects and programs in need of RDC VI endorsement. The body approved a total of eleven (11) RDC resolutions which included the following: 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 Department of Trade & Industry-Iloilo Office, in cooperation with the Iloilo Provincial Government and the Ilonggo Producers Association will hold a One Town One Product (OTOP) Showcase at SM City on 13-19 April 2009. This trade fair is in line with the celebration of Semana sang Iloilo.

A total of 15 Ilonggo exhibitors will participate in the trade fair that showcase specific delicacies and other products locally made but have already captured national acceptance.

Wilhelm Malones, DTI provincial director said that the OTOP Showcase aims to market and promote the local products of different municipalities and cities in Iloilo by accessing wider market area and establishing linkages with potential buyers. For local government units who have joined for the first time, this will be a good opportunity for them to introduce their OTOPs to the market. Read more »

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 »

Urban Partnerships Program-Philippines (UPP-Philippines) Leadership Series.

Download UPPP’s Leadership Series, a learning tool for policy makers to promote understanding of pressing urban issues and encourage policy actions for urban sustainability.

Leadership Series No. 10: Bioregional planning
Leadership Series No. 9: Furnishing the Streets
Leadership Series No. 8: When Public Becomes Private
Leadership Series No. 7: Spokes in the City
Leadership Series No. 6: Urban Waterfronts: The Wave of the Future
Leadership Series No. 5: Breaking Free From the Concrete Prison
Leadership Series No. 4: Walking into a Greener Future
Leadership Series No. 3: The Gospel of Bioregionalism
Leadership Series No. 2: The Evolution of the Jeepney and Transit in Metro Iloilo
Leadership Series No. 1: The New Public Realm and the Sustainable City

Read more »

Presentation by Dr. Gary Davidson and Beate Bowron (Canadian Urban Institute) consultants.

CUI Urban and Regional Planning Program
Iloilo, September 7 – 16, 2008

Beate Bowron, FCIP, RPP, former Director of
Community Planning, City of Toronto

Dr. Gary Davidson, FCIP, RPP, former Director of
Planning and Development, County of Huron

Click link below to download
MIGEDC Focus For Action: Presentation by Gary and Beate (PDF)

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

THE business community here is optimistic that the P8-billion new Iloilo Airport at Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan towns will spawn booming industries nearby.

For one, giant real property developer Fil-Estate Land Inc. chair and CEO Robert John Sobrepeña announced the launching of the 153-hectare Sta. Barbara Heights at the hills of Barangay Inangayan on August 29.

Situated near the airport and just beside the century-old Iloilo Golf and Country Club, the P500-million new town development will host 500 housing units, recreational facilities, hotel and business district for office spaces that are expected to rise in two years time.

Iloilo Business Club executive director Lea Lara said they have identified the airport site as the next thriving investment haven. Read more »

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the GTZ, a German technical assistance group, will finance a P5 million pre-feasibility study to further liven up economic activities in the city’s commercial district especially the old Calle Real and the proposed construction of the P2 million Eco Port.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the two funding agencies will make a feasibility study on the city’s central business district and the proposed eco-port near the Philippine Coast Guard. Also to be included in the P5 million grant is the capability training of members of the Metro Iloilo Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC). Read more »

Introduction

The idea of revitalizing the Iloilo City CBD gained momentum when in October 1998, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) sponsored a cultural heritage tourism workshop to introduce and discuss the possible adoption of the concept of cultural and heritage tourism in Iloilo City.

Attended by individuals from local and national government agencies, cultural institutions, universities, tourism-related businesses, and concerned citizens, the workshop identified local cultural and historical resources, and determined how best these can be marketed locally, nationally and internationally. Based upon the recommendations of the workshop and the increased interest for cultural and heritage tourism, the Iloilo City Government enacted in April 2000 Ordinance No. 00-054, otherwise known as the Local Cultural Heritage Conservation Ordinance (see Annex A). This created the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council (ICCHCC) which is composed of individuals from the arts and culture community, and charged with the responsibility over the city’s cultural heritage conservation and promotion.

Download PDF format – Full 23 pages (21.7Mb)

I. Sta. Barbara-Iloilo City

A. Introduction

The opening of the new Iloilo Airport at Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan is expected to catalyze development and further hasten urbanization between the airport and Iloilo City. While this expected development of the area could bring about opportunities for increasing the area’s economic productivity as well as the revenues for the local governments concerned, it can also result in serious social and environmental consequences if these are not adequately addressed and planned for. For example, the existing road connecting the airport to Iloilo City will undoubtedly attract commercial development which, in turn, will attract job-seekers who will need housing and other basic urban services. If such services and related infrastructure needs are not provided for, the areas alongside the road can quickly deteriorate. If land use is not properly managed, the road itself can become congested and prime food production areas may be unnecessarily compromised. These consequences would be counterproductive to the optimization of the economic and job-generation potentials of the area, as well as of the entire Metro Iloilo-Guimaras region, given the regional role of the new airport.

Download PDF format – Full 24 pages (1.94Mb)

Read more »