Chapter 16
Iloilo in the New Millennium
Mall, Hardware and Convenience Stores
By the year 2000, the population of Iloilo grew fantastically. To cater the growing retail stores, SM Holdings bought a land in Bolilao, Mandurriao.
Education and Leisure for Koreans
The lower cost of living and leisure made Iloilo appealing to the Koreans. Starting in the early years of 2000, there was an upsurge of Korean tourist. According to Moon Dae Jin (Tiger Moon), president of Metro Korea and the vice-president of the Iloilo Korea United Community Association Inc., there are around 3, 000 Koreans in this city about 70 percent of them students.
Iloilo - Safest place for Koreans
More than 20 Korean language schools have been established and they hire Ilonggo English tutors.
“Iloilo City is a very safe place for Koreans" Titus Jeon, vice president of the Iloilo Korean United Community Association Inc., said that except for Iloilo City, some areas in the Philippines were already declared as “red alert” for Koreans. Iloilo-Korea Friendship Festival has been launched to seal this cultural bond on September 17-22, 2012. It is the first of its kind in whole Philippines.
Iloilo International Airport
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated the project on January 25, 2004 and construction work on the new airport started on April 14 that year. The original expected deadline of completion was June 2007 although this was moved to the first quarter of 2007. A joint venture between the Taisei Corporation and the Shimizu Corporation of Japan served as the contractor for the project with Phil-Japan Airport Consultants, Inc. managing the project and serving as the government's consultant to the project. The project was 75 percent complete as of July 14, 2006 and fully complete by March 18, 2000. While construction was completed ahead of schedule, the airport was constructed over budget with a final cost of around 8.8 billion pesos ($201 million) caused by increases in the cost of civil works and consultancy services.
Heritage Conservation
Iloilo Cultural Heritage Conservation Council was created by a group of citizens desiring to arrest the continuing decay of heritage buildings and the decline of cultural appreciation amongst the youth during the administration of Mansueto Malabor to make Iloilo City the cultural heritage capital of the Visayas to raise public awareness of the rich culture Ilonggos ought to preserve.
Iloilo Risk-Reduction Flood Control Project- A Success
No flood since 2009
Iloilo successfully eliminated the risk of flood. As early as 1995 local governments of Iloilo have been appealing to the national government to act on the issue of perennial flooding in the province. However, it was only in 2002 when the loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) was approved. It is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Iloilo City, Philippines. The construction of the Iloilo Flood Control Project has an original cost of P4,262,000,000 with the national government counterpart fund of P1,309,830,000 and an acquired loan of P2,952,170,000 from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). The 4 billion project aims to reduce flood damage by diverting the excess flood discharge of Jaro River towards the Iloilo Strait. The project involves the improvement of Tigum River, Aganan Bridge, construction of the flood-way from Jaro River mouth, Iloilo River, Upper Ingore Creek up to Carpenter’s Bridge, dike embankment at Barangay Hinactacan, Lapaz which includes the raising of river banks, excavation of high water channel, excavation and embankment of diversion structures, development of relocation sites, and improvement of existing drainage facilities. There's virtually 0 zero flood in Iloilo starting 2009 while Manila, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos experienced flood every year.
Urban Poverty and Poorly Paid Professionals
Problem of employed and unemployed
The lack of opportunity compounded by lack of talent and education are among the root causes of poverty. Agricultural lands could not provide an adequate basic necessities such as food, clothing and a decent home. Both in rural and urban areas, poverty just hit not only the unemployed but also the working group. It is called the working poor and many of them have earned a degree such as nursing, teaching or commerce. Even jobs provided by malls, private hospitals and hotels are not enough to cover the cost of living every single day. The following table is a good example of calculations of income versus the estimated expenditure in a month.
Income versus the estimated expenditure in a month.
Private Hospital Nurse Mall Sales Hotel Attendant/Restobars
Average Basic Salary 6000 8000 6000
Deductions (Philhealth) 1500 1500 1500
Government help people protecting themselves
To provide cushion, Iloilo Provincial and City government is employing measures through enrolling them in Philippine Health Insurance Coverage (PHIC) as a medical insurance to cover the cost of healthcare for a household which is economically struggling.
Social Security and its Protection
An impoverished household always have no choice but continue to bombard government with social problems such as crime, disease, and malnutrition. In order to ease the burden, government allocates financial allowance that allow a family to purchase basic commodities such as food. Their counterpart is to send their children to school and to vaccinate them from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Health-Insured
Even a hard-working household earns adequate money an illness can rob them of their savings and it will be used for Health Care Finances. More often that not, it is the main cause for personal bankruptcy. The most vulnerable are the poor household.
Iloilo Health-insured
Iloilo - 1, 879, 083 ----- The rate is 77 %
Negros - 2, 297, 933---- The rate is 71 %
Insurance for Trikes
Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog turned over insurance cards to leaders of tricycle transport groups in Iloilo City recently.
An exclusive group personal accident insurance of P10,000 one-year coverage period for accidental death and disablement were given to each officers and members of Metro Iloilo City Federation of Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association, Inc.(MICFTODA).
Housing Program
Real Property Asset like House and Lot is reality for some. With the partnership of Government and Charitable Institutions, hundreds of thousands were able to live in decent houses in Lanit, Jaro , So-oc Arevalo, in Gawad Kalinga in Ajuy, Zarraga, and Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
A Big Question of Self-entitlement
The Philippine government is sustained by every person who forced himself to get up every single day to work, produce money and contribute to the tax earnings. The Philippine government budget is outsourced from this working class with a total revenue of 600 billion pesos approximately enough to run all government offices, hospitals and schools. There is another segment of society who consume government revenue by receiving cash can seek health-care with zero billing even without undergoing that tough process of working each passing day. It is called " Entitlement" because the benefits are established by law rather than by appropriations by Congress.
There are 3 categories: the disabled, elderly and the lowest income group. The first two are understandable they are not capable to work with reasons while the latter is a different case. Based on the survey by the DSWD, most of this group came from rural poor or the squatters in the city. Squatters often built their makeshift houses along the water ways. Some of them clog the rivers not just with their garbage but also with their human waste which pollutes the river. While this segment does not produce money (gross domestic product) but only consume government budget their toll on environment and welfare of other people is huge making them a double burden to the society.
Iloilo - Model Future City
Esplanade - Wellness and health
Iloilo owe its beauty through the efforts of Senator Franklin Drilon. Esplanade offers a venue for wellness and fitness aimed for longevity. Their aesthetic and health-enhancing value is a wonder to many.
Plazuela de Iloilo - Park to Unwind
A lot to do things here a massive tablet of stones, a grand staircase, a fountain, a posh restaurants, cobbled-stone plaza, massive columns to typify the Spanish piazza.
Ensuring Food Security and Self-Sufficiency
The future belongs to the ready. In order for Iloilo to ready itself from food insufficiency, the government initiated a project that can bolster the food production by creating an irrigation system of Jalaur River anchored towards the Department of Agriculture agency target through National Irrigation Administration. Export Import Bank of Korea (ExIm Bank). The additional benefits of this project include electricity generation and potable water supply to the residents of Iloilo province.
It's proven that food is the only way that sustain the existence of mankind. For over thousands of years, mankind simply depend on agriculture which sustained a civilization to survive despite ravaging cycle of disease, natural disasters or war. Tons of money, gold, cars or homes have no value during worst conditions in the world because simply humans need food. An Ilonggo civilization thrived for over 500 years depending on agriculture free to move and cultivate the land's bounty.
Iloilo is strategically-important for a number of reasons. It sits astride enormous coal to energy production perking up economy. Iloilo is known as the breadbasket of the Philippines. It's finest agricultural region in the world with 150 rivers and highly developed irrigation system. Its topsoil is widely-acknowledged by agronomists to be among the world's best capable to produce vegetables, fruits, root crops, sugar, rice and poultry and cattle whole year round. Iloilo oceans is teeming with marine life, its coastal towns produce tons of fishes. Because of Iloilo enormous importance, its loss would be a crippling blow to the food production countries who produced cars, television and phones will necessarily leave those manufacturing plants to start planting for food in order to survive. Asia Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) subject on food production, importation and its trade, modern agricultural technology and economic policy will be discussed in Iloilo in the year 2015.
Call Center Industry
Initially, Iloilo City government neglect of infrastructure leads BPO companies to turn-back and locate somewhere else. With strong support from the private companies it is gaining ground in Iloilo City giving unprecedented employment for a dynamic younger population in the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) industry considered to be a gainfully promising job.
Fort San Pedro - A Baywalk
Because of its historical value, Iloilo begun to revive the Fort San Pedro. A cobbled-stone were installed and a lamp post to illuminate the port at night.
Iloilo hosted APEC - September 2015
Various government agencies are in unison to build Iloilo society to aim for national objectives. As Iloilo continue to rise in education, life expectancy and income.
Effective and efficient bidding policy.
Iloilo Convention Center has P747.16 million, or P63,894 per square meter 28 meters high — about six to seven stories — and has a total floor area of 11,693.57 square meters. Hilmarc’s Construction Corp yielded to P482.5 million includes the installation of two escalators, three elevator pits and airconditioning units. Because of “effective and efficient bidding policy, the government was able to save 130 million pesos after value engineering specifically on the structural aspect adopting top international requirements” and complies with quality standards for convention centers.
Ilongo in the future
For over 500 years Ilonggo Civilization had thrived. It was such a long time the yesteryear have long been gone but our stories as a people is unfolding. We continue to make history every single day. We are not mere on-lookers everybody is a part of it.
