THE Iloilo City Government and the University of the Philippines (UP) in the Visayas continue their partnership through the extension of the research project being conducted on the Iloilo-Batiano River.
The memorandum of agreement was signed on January 27, 2026, between the city and the university, represented by Mayor Raisa Treñas, UP Visayas Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano, and City Environment and Natural Resources Office Head EnP. Janis Sy.
Also present was Iloilo City Planning and Development Coordinator EnP. Ronald M. Cartagena.
The project, entitled “Revitalizing an Urban River: Stakeholders’ Engagement in Improving the Water Quality of the Iloilo-Batiano River Basin,” will cover the Iloilo-Batiano River, including 29 barangays along its stretch as the project site.
The project’s third year aims to provide a proof of concept for an integrated, multi-level urban river governance framework. It focuses on the continuous co-production of data for the Iloilo River Development Master Plan, socio-economic monitoring of riverine communities, and the formulation of policy recommendations for institutional river management, among others.
Following the signing, students from the UP Visayas College of Management-Diploma in Urban and Regional Development presented results and recommendations from two studies that may directly impact the city: improving mobility and livability along the Iloilo Sunset Boulevard, and site-planning options for a UPV property in Brgy. Tanza Timawa I.
Treñas thanked the researchers for providing timely data, insights, and recommendations that will guide city decision making and ensure that governance remains evidence-based. (PR)
