CLUP/Zoning Ordinance

     The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) serves as the reference book, the guidebook, the Bible, so to speak of all economic and other human undertakings in the city for the next 10 years.

The 1998-2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of Iloilo City along with its accompanying Zoning Ordinance (ZO) is long overdue for revision, as such, this was endorsed by the incumbent City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog to the SP Committee on Urban Planning and Zoning, which I am the Chairman for study, report and recommendation.

One of which is the conduct of a public hearing.

Prior to public hearing, my office conducted several informal meeting of minds with the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Panay chapter which extracted clashing of opinions and ideas gearing towards a technically dynamic growth for Iloilo City.

I also initiated a dialogue among the city councilors soliciting their suggestions and inputs as well as their favorable support for legislative measures  for the endorsement of CLUP and its Zoning Ordinance.

An invitation was sent  to Ma’am Bermejo  (position) of the Housing Land Use and Regulatory Board together with the City Planning and Development Coordinator , Mr. Jose Roni Penalosa to shed light on various concerns which I feel need to discussed  prior to initiating the public hearing.

The conduct of a public hearing do not only fulfill the purpose of a legislative requirement but important undertaking like this should be base on the core belief that our people should remain essentially free and that development strategies should provide them the opportunity to participate and the capacity to choose especially decisions affecting growth and development in our communities.

The internationally recognized Palafox Associates undertook the preparation of this land use plan with the team from the City Planning and Development Office who painstakingly conducted 2 public consultations and workshops to stakeholders way back in February and June in 2009, to primarily identify and establish the inherent potentials and opportunities in our city and thus devise an appropriate framework for development options and spatial strategies.

Eventually, various inputs were submitted, gathered, discussed, scrutinized, and integrated by the CPDO to coincide with the needs and demands affecting our people and the city’s economic growth.

As to this writing, the city’s CLUP/Zoning Ordinance is now being reviewed by the Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC and the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), after which this will be referred back to the City Council for necessary amendments ….and eventually for its final approval.

Boys' and Girls' Week Celebration

"Gusto ko, mangin Leader ka."

In line with the annual celebration of Boys' and Girls' Week project of the Rotary Club of Iloilo City, forty-nine students from about forty-five public and private schools in the metropolis have occupied the highest positions in the city government.

The selected student leaders are performing the functions and responsibilities and work together with their counterparts in governance and legislation for a week.

This is one avenue that would provide opportune time for the student leaders to actually reign public office as well as to expose themselves to the “art and intricacies” of local governance.  

Series of exams and panel interview from the screening committee qualify them for this actual experience.

                This year, I am glad that my boy city councilor counterpart is Renz Ayongao, an academic scholar and a student leader from Paref-Westbridge School (school for boys). This academic institution is so close to my heart, because my four boys graduated from same school.

"A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position." - John Maxwell

KALINGA Party List: Medical Mission

"Pag may KALINGA, may pag-ibig sa kapwa". To be part of this team, brings indescribable feeling, something truthfully unmatched.   

   When Ma'am Hussien, local facilitator approached me that they need a local counterpart, I said  Yes with no second thought...not even asking  what they need. 

      They only asked  for manpower support, chairs, tables and snacks for the volunteer medical personnel . 

     Another partnership, another opportunity on my part  to address the call to service. 

      Services offered were optometry, medical, dental, haircut, circumcision, blood sugar & blood typing, reflexology, free reading glass, free medicines and feeding program for the less privileged of our constituents in Iloilo City.

"I could be anywhere doing anything, but I choose to be here." 

Mass Feeding

" Gusto Ko Healthy Ka"

Aside from shelter and clothing, food is primarily known as one of  the most basic needs of humanity. We need food not only to satisfy our physical bodies but also to sustain our human activities, to be on the go and become productive.  

As such, your humble representation look into this matter with utmost consideration especially the school children who need adequate amount of nourishment in their day to day activities.

We visited Day Care Centers in some selected areas of Iloilo City where we served soup, pan de sal and juice. 

As if on cue, we came just on time for their break so we can replenish their grumbling tummies right to the fill.  

This project corresponds with the ongoing mass feeding program of the Department of Health in the city.

Munting Tulong from Senator Jinggoy Estrada

     The fire that caused numerous families  in Brgy. Malipayon, Delgado in distress and other homeless brought back  Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to Iloilo City, bringing along relief goods that will somehow alleviate the plight of our affected constituents.

        Apart from my official capacity as City Councilor, I am privileged to take part of this laudable undertaking...

trusting me....

...and my staff 

...in the preparation and the distribution of the goods from the office of the good senator.

      It is by such circumstances that I have learned to become more involved selflessly and appreciate all the blessings life has showered upon me.

Children's Big Story Books

"Gusto Ko Maalam Ka"

When parents cheer on their kids when they first learned how to talk, their support helps much more than the action itself.  Moreover, when these children first learn their ABC’s and was able to retell a single story being taught in school…it makes us giggle and even brag to every family member, a friend and in the workplace that our child knows how to talk and tell stories by themselves.

As a father I experienced the same feeling when my four sons went through the stages of learning their alphabet ….and eventually were able to read their books.

Such revelation inspires me to come up with a project to provide Big Story Books with vivid pictures not  only to teach these little tykes to read but to awaken their interest for reading and for liking books to start at their young age.  Banking in the thought from the famous quote of Margaret Fuller, “ Today a reader, tomorrow a leader”.

        I gladly joined my staff in distributing 26 volumes of Children’s Big Story Books for the pupils and 2 Teacher’s Guide for 209 Day Care Centers in  180 barangays of Iloilo City under the auspices of the City Social Welfare Development Office.

   

      I even tried storytelling to the kinder pupils who were delighted and amazed every time I turn the page with my loud voice echoing in the four corners of their classroom.

       I can tell that they were more entertained by the colorful pictures than the story itself...

      ...or they can’t help but to admire my story telling prowess.

         
     I am doubly engrossed by the idea that the teachers were genuinely thankful for these books to  serve as an additional lesson devise that would surely hold the attention of these hyperactive children to listen to their stories because of the huge -bright colored pictures printed page by page. 

    
      Now we can say that our children are not only made readers on the laps of their parents...

...but now on the laps of our dedicated teachers whose patients were stretched to the max in dealing with these super active toddlers in school.

      This children's Big Story Books project coincided with one of the city’s LCE’s 10 point Agenda primarily geared to enhance the system of education to start at kindergarten level.

Certificates of appreciation were received by my office from the Day Care Workers of  the 7 districts of the city and from the City Mayor for pioneering this project.
 

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over  the man who can't read.” - Mark Twain