The Iloilo City way of good governance for shared prosperity

“Management — Excellence for a Progressive Philip- pines” is the 2025 theme of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP). In the public sec- tor, Iloilo City shows how MAP’s theme works in practice.

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With a 10.5% GDP growth rate, Iloilo City became the 2™ fastest-growing economy in 2023 among all Highly Urbanized Cities in the Philippines. The Philippine Statistics Authority described it as the fastest-growing economy in Western Visayas in 2024. The city is now benchmarked by other local government units (LGUs). How did change leaders move Iloilo City from a state of disrepair to urban excellence?

Good governance is the answer. For Iloilo City, good governance appears in three stages: 1.) commitment to the city’s renewal; 2.) focus on transformative projects; and, 3.) pursuit of continuous improvement. A precondition for the rise of good governance in Iloilo City — it must be stressed — is the confluence of change leaders with the moral fiber to put cause and community above personal interests.

STAGE 1. COMMITMENT TO THE CITY’S RENEWAL

Iloilo City was once known as the Queen City of the South. Sugar sweetened its economy. When much of the sugar industry moved elsewhere, decay set in. Many Ilonggos dreamt of what could have been had the city’s prosperous period endured. The dream stayed alive, incubated in the hearts of Ilonggos who treasure their roots.

A primary practice at this stage is the collaboration of change leaders. Franklin Drilon, a senator during the dream’s incubation period, vowed to change the face of the city. His personal mission was to restore the city’s pride of place, to turn it into a future-proof and top-of-mind destination. Jerry Treñas, already the mayor during the city’s take off phase, imagined the city as a beloved place of fiscal, social, and cultural prosperity.