“Republic of Iloilo”, “Country within a country” and “Wakanda of the Philippines” are just some of the names dubbed by netizens to the city and province of Iloilo. Despite the raucousness of the national government in leading the country against COVID-19, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas went on to set the standards of what a model LGU and province should do to keep COVID-19 at bay.

Although autonomous from the province as a highly urbanized city, Iloilo City’s Mayor Treñas and Iloilo Governor Defensor have worked hand-in-hand with the support of the private sector in preparing and protecting the entire province amid this pandemic. 

As early as January, both Treñas and Defensor suspended international flights to and from Iloilo International Airport. In a letter to Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, and AirAsia, Treñas wrote that they “voluntarily cease your international flights to and from countries positive with the 2019 novel coronavirus immediately.”

Following the start of the lockdown in Metro Manila last March 12, Defensor declared the entire province of Iloilo under community quarantine with border restrictions on March 15. Mayor Treñas later proclaimed an enhanced community quarantine on March 20 as a preventive measure despite yet recording any COVID-19 cases in the city.

Defensor, with his provincial board, was able to realign the province’s P270.1 million to combat COVID-19. Majority of the budget was P186 million pesos of financial assistance to 42 LGUs, including Passi City; P55.6 million also went to medicine and medical supplies for the 12 district hospitals managed by the provincial government; For the frontliners, P27 million were allocated for food and other needs while the remaining P1.5 million are for fuel and transportation needs of government workers.

As both Iloilo city and provincial governments began undertaking anti COVID-19 efforts, both faced the inevitable limits of their resources. Thus, the private sector took initiative in filling in these gaps, The launching of the Iloilo COVID-19 Task Force affirmed the partnership of the city and province’s physicians, as well as the support of the private sector.

“In our partnership, we will do away with words like ‘mine’ and ‘yours.’ It will be ‘ours’ starting today,” Defensor said.

Treñas’s city government was able to raise billions of pesos early on from affluent families and businessmen. This enabled the acquisition of much needed COVID-19 testing kits, PPEs, and supply of basic commodities for his constituents. 240 community kitchens have also been set up as well as “Ilonggo pandesal” wherein bakeries were able to produce 1.7 million pandesals to ensure no Ilonggo goes hungry.

Protection towards Ilonggo frontliners were also highlighted as they started to face discrimination due to their jobs. The Iloilo City Community College and the docked ship of John B. Lacson Maritime University were converted as temporary dorm facilities for medical and other frontliners. The city goverment also led a legal response by amending the “anti-discrimination ordinance” which now prohibits businesses from barring individuals due their occupations.

Efforts towards mass testing took a big step not only in Iloilo, but including the whole Region VI as Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City was accredited as the region’s COVID-19 testing center. The hospital has expressed their gratitude to Mayor Treñas for his support in providing supplies and services for the laboratory and its workers.

Those buzzling monikers and praises for the city and province of Iloilo were borne out of progressive leadership of Treñas and Defensor and the consistent support of their counterparts in the private sector. Throughout their anti COVID-19 response, the government and its people have set bayanihan standards above the bare minimum, which duly serves as a model for other politicians and LGUs.

Iloilo timelessly proves today that as long as the government and its people have each others’ backs, they will overcome any crisis together. Padayon!