ILOILO CITY – The provincial and city governments of Iloilo extended their condolences to the family of former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and remembered him for his legacies.
“At the start of his term, he launched the aggressive concreting of our national highways. It was a very good initiative because his target was at the end of his term in 2016, all national highways should be paved,” Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said during his regular press conference on Thursday.
Defensor said the former president has other legacies but the most important memory is the concreting of the national highways in Iloilo.
The province has 854.59 kilometers of national road in 2020 based on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office.
Defensor added that Aquino had laid down the foundation for other infrastructure programs and civil works in the country.
Defensor was on his first term as congressman for the third district of Iloilo in 2010 when Aquino was serving his term in the Senate.
The governor joined the Liberal Party, where Aquino is a member, during his second term in Congress.
Currently, the Philippine national flag and the Iloilo provincial banner are flying at half-mast to honor the late president.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said Ilonggos are in mourning with the entire nation for the death of the former president as he thanked Aquino for his service to the Filipinos.
“The Philippines lost a leader that brought us a robust economy during his term,” he said in his post on the official Facebook page of the city government.
He added that he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Aquino as they have known each other since their Ateneo days.
“I was two years older than him, and he would call me ‘manong’,” he said.
Treñas issued memorandum circular 002 directing all government offices, business establishments, and other public and private institutions in the city to fly the Philippine flag at half-mast for 10 days starting Thursday to express respect and gratitude to the country’s 15th president
Source: Philippines News Agency
