It's My Panay!: Feature:

Iloilo’s Rising Fast

By Pepin

The new Iloilo City Hall during its construction (Photo Credit to skyscrappercity.com.)

A decade of waiting is almost over. Ten years ago, Ilonggos dream of a highly urbanized city, but the aspiration seemed far-fetched. But today, the metropolitan is gaining more momentum as more businesses are coming in and job opportunities flourish.

Ayala Technohub (Photo Credit to foursquare.com)

New investments in real estates and commercial centers are expected to surface at the end of the year, with two new shopping centers being established at present. Gaisano Capital in the town of Oton and Robinson’s Supermarket in Molo District are both under construction, and will serve the Ilonggo population in the second quarter of the year.

In addition, there are also condominiums and highly-sophisticated hotels proposed to open in the last quarter of 2012. Call center facilities are also coming into view in various parts of the city, and health care institutions, like Iloilo Mission Hospital, Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, and Medicus Diagnostic Centers are currently upgrading their facilities to better serve the people.

Paraw Regatta (Photo credit to ceajan.com)

The city government is also investing on tourism and infrastructure projects. In fact, it has fortified the Dinagyang, Kasadyahan, and Paraw Regatta festivals by providing all the possible support needed so as to maintain Iloilo’s status as “home of the best festivals in the country.”

Mayor Jed Mabilog and his team are implementing policies and strategies to decongest traffic, as well as to create more public-friendly infrastructures, such as walk paths, bridges, and wider roads. New ordinances were created to better discipline offenders and protect the rights and well-being of the citizens, and the new City Hall is already in full operation and promises to provide high quality services to the people.

Iloilo was expected to rise twenty years from now, but with the latest developments, the city will prosper sooner as expected.