Currently, Iloilo City District Plazas are being rehabilitated, and public spaces are being improved. This is one of the major projects that aims to promote the social welfare and health of the citizens and the community.

Public spaces are an essential component of a healthy city (which is also Iloilo City’s long-term objective) for several reasons:

Social interaction: Public spaces provide opportunities for social interaction and community building, which are critical for promoting social connections and reducing social isolation. Public spaces like parks, plazas, and community centers are places where people can come together, meet new people, and participate in activities that promote a sense of community and belonging.

Physical activity: Public spaces can provide opportunities for physical activity, which is essential for maintaining good health. Parks and trails, for example, can provide opportunities for people to walk, run, bike, and engage in other physical activities, which can help reduce the risk of obesity and other health problems.

Mental health: Public spaces can also contribute to mental health by providing a space for people to relax, unwind, and reduce stress. Access to green spaces, in particular, has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health, reducing anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

Economic benefits: Public spaces can also provide economic benefits by attracting visitors and promoting local businesses. Public spaces like farmers’ markets, festivals, and street fairs can create opportunities for local vendors and stimulate economic activity.

Overall, public spaces are essential for creating a healthy, vibrant city by promoting social interaction, physical activity, mental health, and economic benefits.

Last August 1, we were directed by our City Planning Department Head Sir Jose Roni Peñalosa with regards to conducting a survey on the warehouses located along the Iloilo River Estuary in the Brgys. Mulle Loney, Legazpi Dela Rama, Zamora Melliza and Monica Blumentritt, City Proper District. This is in coordination with the City’s plan for the redevelopment project and to check the status and viability of these areas with regards to its economic revenue.

Prior to the day of the survey, Ma’am Imelda Gerochi developed a survey form to acquire the data needed and can be provided by the warehouse owners and managers and discussed it with the team together with Ma’am Dolly for corrections and suggestions. A few irrelevant questions were deleted and other minor revisions were implemented. We then assigned the members of the 4 groups that will conduct the survey in each of the Barangays. I was with the Gaia and Ma’am Janis in the group and our Barangay assignment is at Legazpi Dela Rama.

Come the day of the survey, I already prepared an extra pad paper for the notes and also fully charged my smartphone and power bank for backup just in case. I have also added the app MapIt for noting the GPS location of each of the warehouses in the area. This will be later on tallied in an Excel sheet along with other relevant information. The weather was somewhat sunny that time so we brought along umbrellas for each person. We gathered at the office at around 8:30am and started the survey in the area around 9:00am. We immediately proceeded to the Barangay Hall of Legazpi Dela Rama to coordinate with their officials and asked for a guide to assist us.

Here are some of the pics I took during the course of the survey in the Barangay.

Click here to view the album.

I am sharing this short writeup about the City of Iloilo which I wrote and contributed to the Grand Prix Manila Travel Guide handbook. The guide was initiated by the Philippine MtG judges as a reference for those coming over to participate in the event. This was also another opportunity for me to promote tourism in the city.

Iloilo City

Iloilo is a province of the Philippines, located in the center of the Philippine archipelago in the southeastern part of Panay Island. The capital city, Iloilo City, is considered one of the major urban centers in the Philippines and continues to become one of the major industrial and eco-tourism destinations in the country. The city was a conglomeration of former towns which are now turned into geographical districts. These are: Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo, Villa Arevalo, La Paz, Lapuz and Iloilo City Proper.

Iloilo City is just 55 minutes of flight away from Manila and is a hub for trade, commerce, technology, and of course, tourism. The nationally acclaimed Dinagyang Festival has been the flagship yearly event of the city and is celebrated every January. There are many travel treasures you can hunt around the city. From mouthwatering delicacies to mesmerizing and splendid architectural heritage and modern designs, these are a few of the many things the city has to offer for tourists and locals to enjoy.

The Top 10 you can have as your checklist are the following:
1. Eat Batchoy & Pancit Molo
2. Pray at historic churches
3. Love the skyline at the Iloilo City Hall Rooftop
4. Stroll at Iloilo Esplanade
5. Bike at Benigno Aquion Avenue
6. Time Travel at Calle Real
7. Joy Ride in a Jeepney
8. Party at Smallville Complex
9. Brew at Madge Café
10. Bask at Fort San Pedro Baywalk

Touring around the city is easy as most of the major roads are served by public utility jeepneys, taxis, and tricycles as your transport options. Most of the locals are very friendly so it is also easy to ask around for directions as guide or if ever you get lost. Start by greeting them “Maayong aga” for good morning or “Maayong hapon” for good afternoon, then follow it up with your inquiry. Other relevant lingo are “kamusta ka?” for “How are you?” and “Tagpila ni?” for “How much is this?” Lastly, always say Thank you or “Salamat”.

Traveling to the outer municipalities is catered by five major transport terminals located at the city’s parameter areas which offer large jeepneys and buses.

Iloilo City also serves as a gateway to other nearby tourist spots in the provinces of Guimaras, Antique, Aklan, and Capiz. Examples are Boracay Island, Isla de Higantes and Mararison Island.

It is already past two weeks since we conducted the community risk assessment of the barangays here in Iloilo City. The office formed two teams to do the data gathering and we were part of the total of ten teams that the City Government deployed to cover the 180 barangays of Iloilo City. Yep, that is alot of barangays for such a regularly-sized city. This is in preparation for the seminar that will be conducted in Boracay starting this week. Also, this will be the basis of the info that will build the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan of each individual Barangay.

So far we have done around 15 barangays as of this posting in which the recent was Brgy. Javellana, Jaro which I conducted just this afternoon. There are 7 sets of questions or forms that will build up the CBRA, and each Barangay will have at least 15 participants including senior citizens, children and PWDs along with the barangay officials. 

I was in-charge of documenting and taking pictures and here are a few shots so far:

So after a few months of waiting it is finally here. I am finally taking the entrance exam to University of the Philippines Graduate School’s Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning this Saturday. I remembered the last time

I went to pass my requirements was last May 12, 2017 and expected the exam date last June 3, 2017. Luckily they postponed it maybe because of lack of enrollees and they extended the application deadline to June 16 and scheduled the exam this July 8, 2017.

For a quick background, I am to enroll to this course as a major requirement of my work here in the City Planning and Development Office of the Iloilo City Government. This is the first step as after completing this one, I will then proceed to the Masteral course for Urban Planning.

To Wiki quote, “Urban planning is a technical and political process concerned with the development and use of land, planning permission, protection and use of the environment, public welfare, and the design of the urban environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks.

An urban planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community’s land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically analyzing land use compatibility as well as economic, environmental and social trends. In developing the plan for a community (whether commercial, residential, agricultural, natural or recreational), urban planners must also consider a wide array of issues such as sustainability, air pollution, traffic congestion, crime, land values, legislation and zoning codes.”

With little to no background to this field, I think I am obliged to study and learn and also as a part of my job position. I have been attending related seminars and workshop such as on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction but the correlation still seems vague. Hopefully upon taking this course, I can be knowledgeable of the role of an urban planner and help design and develop accordingly based on the current state and data available of the city.

Wish me luck this Saturday.