By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the improvements of the city’s plazas might be delayed as the funding for the project was re-channeled to the implementation of Republic Act No. 11469 (Bayanihan To Heal As One Act) which seeks to address the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The improvements are funded through the Tourism Infrastructure and Economic Zones Authority (TIEZA), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
“I had a phone conversation with [Chief Operating Officer] Pocholo Paragas of TIEZA, and he said our projects for our plazas were part of the P 12-billion fund which were taken by the national government to implement the Bayanihan Act. We have to wait for this to be funded again. Three plazas will need to wait,” he said.
The mayor said that he will nevertheless proceed to prepare for this project, as this may benefit the people, especially at this time.
“In the meantime, we will talk to Architect Paulo Alcazaren to prepare the plans. Plaza Libertad already has funds and we can start there. But we will go on with our plans to improve the plazas because there is where our people go. In the meantime, we just keep planting in our plazas so they can have a nice view and they can enjoy despite the problem of COVID-19,” he said.
