Iloilo City: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is well-informed about the pressing issues confronting Western Visayas, including Iloilo City’s power and water supply concerns, according to Mayor Jerry Tre±as. Tre±as, who also chairs the Infrastructure Development Committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas, joined a meeting with the President on Feb. 13, where he raised the city’s concerns.

According to Philippines News Agency, Tre±as expressed that in his 39 years of public service, it was unprecedented for a President to preside over the RDC. He noted that during the presentation of proposed and ongoing infrastructure projects, such as the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, President Marcos demonstrated a thorough understanding of the region’s needs.

Tre±as highlighted that the President emphasized the necessity for further studies on Iloilo’s water and power shortages. He also informed that the city government had accepted Aboitiz InfraCapital’s proposal to operate a bulk water supply project. Although still under negotiation, Tre±as hopes for its successful implementation, contingent upon the Jalaur dam’s completion.

Addressing Iloilo’s rising power demand, Tre±as shared insights from MORE Power’s CEO Roel Castro, indicating a 15 percent annual growth in electricity consumption, underscoring the urgent requirement for an additional baseload power plant.

The meeting further discussed the Panay Guimaras Bridge’s construction, which President Marcos aims to initiate this year. Additionally, he expressed his commitment to completing the Jalaur project to irrigate 4,000 hectares of rice land, potentially doubling Iloilo’s rice production. The Panay River Basin Project was also addressed as a solution to Capiz’s flooding problem.

Mayor Tre±as reiterated the President’s awareness of the Panay River Basin Project, noting its potential impact similar to that of the Jalaur project, with plans to construct a high dam to irrigate agricultural lands in Capiz.