The ecological forum held here on Friday provided a venue for sharing key developments in Iloilo City in advancing the local government’s commitment to a greener and more sustainable future.
Iloilo City continues to experience significant progress and transformation, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said in his message before some 250 participants, including architects, environmental planners, engineers, developers, contractors, local government offices, national government agencies, entrepreneurs, local businesses, and students.
“It is crucial that we come together to discuss our collective efforts in promoting environmental sustainability and preserving cultural heritage,” he said.
“From infrastructure enhancements to social programs, from environmental conservation to economic empowerment, we have embarked on a range of initiatives aimed at building a resilient and inclusive city.”
One of the speakers, National Economic and Development Authority-Western Visayas environmental planner Roxanne Yap, tackled sustainable transport, green sidewalks and active mobility.
She cited that the region, including Iloilo City, has a lot of sustainable transport on the roads, including electric tricycles and buses.
“We’re one of the cities that pioneered the use of electric buses for public transport,” she said.
The local government also has green sidewalks, including green tunnels, mangroves, and the Sunset Boulevard, where the design is integrated with plant boxes.
“For active mobility, there is now bigger acceptance of cyclists, so we have more investments in bike infrastructures,” she added.
Yap, however, said there is more to be done, emphasizing the need for proper planning to see the intended result, starting with statistics and its analysis as the basis for planning.
“Next year, we will be conducting regional road safety planning workshops. We want to take it a notch higher and really make a plan at the regional level on how we can forward the cause for road safety, not just for bikers but for the motorists as well as the pedestrians,” she added.
She underscored the importance of understanding traffic rules, disciplined drivers and traffic enforcement without bias.
The official also talked about building more cycling infrastructures, which is a challenge not only for the government but also for the private sector and the citizens.
“We have to put investments on building cycling infrastructures if we want that there will be more people to take active mobility,” she said.
She recommended coordinating with the environmental department to ensure the right plant species are planted as the city embarks on massive tree-growing activities.
The forum organized by the city government and SM City Iloilo likewise tackled green building innovations; customer service; waste and organization; sustainable tourism, heritage parks and public spaces; and sustainable solutions and circular economy in the food industry.
Hans Sy, Jr., president of SM Engineering and Design Development, said in an interview that the forum is part of their initiatives to share information and technologies.
“We take advantage of opportunities like this to be able to give back to the community what we’ve also learned through the years,” he said.
SM Prime Holdings Inc. partnered with the city government in the rehabilitation of the central and terminal markets, which Sy said are on track to be finished this year. (PNA)
