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The esplanade serves as a recreation area for residents. Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News

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Iloilo River Esplanade

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

ILOILO -- When Typhoon Frank struck in June 2008, around 80 percent of Iloilo City went underwater, affecting nearly 50,000 families or more than 200,000 individuals.Though each of their stories was different, a common experience among those we interviewed was the sense of indignity.Marilou Balboa, who was then tending to her sick grandchild at the hospital, returned home to find their house submerged, with only the roof left above water.Their area was particularly at risk since they lived near the Jaro River.Thankfully, rescuers got to her children in time. But everything else the family owned was washed away.“Ang pinakamasakit, wala akong damit. Tatlong layer ng Durabox ang damit kong nadala sa tubig. Hiyang-hiya ako na manghingi sa mga tao para may maisuot lang ako pero kaysa maghubad ako? Kahit sino lang dyan, hiningian ko ng luma nilang damit,” recounted Balboa.In downtown Jaro, Sharon Tagudando and her family endured days of being trapped in the second floor of their house, with no supply of running water and electricity. Even their single comfort room was blocked off by a combination of floodwaters, mud, and trash.“Mag-CR na lang ako (kahit saan). Dyan na ako nag-ihi,” she recalled.Getting food was also a struggle.“Mahirap kasi may mga anak ako, nagpapadede pa ako ng gatas. Siyempre, nag-aalala ako sa kalusugan nila na hindi kami makakain nang mabuti… Ang asawa ko lang umaalis, siya na lang bumibili kasi mahirap magka-leptospirosis ba,” shared Tagudando.It took them four weeks to clean up their house.<div> </div><div>A Turning Point: The Jaro Floodway</div>The devastation caused by Frank became Iloilo City’s turning point.Officials, business groups, and residents pushed for the speedy construction of the Jaro Floodway, which the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had already done a feasibility study on in the mid-1990s as part of the broader Iloilo Flood Control Project (IFCP).The 5-kilometer floodway was designed to divert runoff from the Aganan and Tigum Rivers away from the Jaro River and city center, and into the sea.“The Iloilo floodway was about to be scrapped by NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) because they said there was no economic returns, so I had to lobby to President (Gloria Arroyo), together with the petitions of the businessmen, the barangay captain and several other sectors,” said former Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.“At the time it cost P5 billion and JICA was ready to fund it,” he added.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758790412449jaro5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Jaro floodway diverts water away from the city center to prevent flooding.</div>According to Treñas, the floodway solved flooding in about 3/4 of the city and several barangays of Pavia when it was completed in 2011.The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with help from the Philippine government and JICA, also revisited and evaluated the project in 2016, five years after it was opened.And based on their study, it proved effective in preventing floods from river overflows, even during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda and Typhoon Quinta.“According to key officials and residents interviewed, there has been no damage to life and property after project completion due to the prevention of flooding,” it added.It also noted how the project was able to help spur economic growth.“Iloilo City’s vibrant economy may be partly attributed to the flood mitigation brought about by the project. Investors would have not invested in the city if nothing was done to alleviate flooding,” the study read.Today, Iloilo has emerged as one of the top destinations for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE).“That’s the economic gain. Because who would have conventions in Iloilo if we were always flooded? Even the old airport was also flooded so flights cannot come in,” said the former mayor.Residents themselves say flooding is no longer the headache it once was, except for the occasional street-level flooding during strong typhoons.“Hindi naman na kami natatakot ngayon. Controlled na ang baha so nag-decide ako na pwede nang magtinda dyan (sa labas ng aming bahay),” said Tagudando.While the constant threat of river overflow remains for low-lying areas such as where Marilou Balboa lives, she said floodwaters subside quicker ever since the floodway was constructed.The local government of Iloilo City also plans to build more relocation sites for at-risk communities.<div> </div><div>ILOILO RIVER ESPLANADE</div>The floodway became the backbone of Iloilo City’s defense against future disasters. But the IFCP also included river improvement projects, dredging operations,  and the construction of dikes and slope protection structures.One of those dikes was built along the Iloilo River. According to Treñas, they planned to turn it into a road dike or an alternate route motorists could take to get from Benigno Aquino Avenue to the Mandurriao district.But they had to make adjustments because the people were clamoring for something else.“They constructed an asphalt road which allowed us to use the area as an alternate route going to Mandurriao. But after that, (when we) planted the plants the trees, people started using it as an area where they can walk, exercise area,” he said.“So Senator Frank (Drilon) said, Jerry, said let’s convert this into an esplanade because people are enjoying it,” he added.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758790053814esplanade 5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The esplanade serves as a recreation area for residents. Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News</div>That’s when local officials realized that hard infrastructure alone was not enough, and that nature-based solutions could further strengthen what has already been built.Instead of lining the Iloilo River with nothing but gray walls, Drilon asked renowned architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren and his team to design the now-award-winning Esplanade—miles of walkway, trees, and green buffers that doubled as flood protection.“To build that, they had to clear the edges of informals, ginawan nila ng settlement na in-city. Ang kagandahan nito, may area na pwedeng tubuan ng halaman at mangroves, naglagay kami ng additional puno-puno. Naging parang sponge na ina-absorb niya yung tubig baha,” said Alcazaren.“The root system stabilizes the slope. After ilang seasons ng paglaki niya, mas matibay pa sa concrete, hindi mag-eerode,” he added.This also contributed to the rehabilitation of the once-dying estuarine river. Daniel Ramos, a local, has even made it a habit to go fishing along the river esplanade.“Hindi na mabaho. Noon mabaho (ang tubig) galing sa pier hanggang dito,” he said.The first phase of the project was completed in 2012, and it has since been expanded to nearly 10 kilometers—making it the longest linear pedestrian/bike-only park in the Philippines.While there are parts full of greenery, there are also view decks every few hundred meters where people can look out into the river.“It’s important to have visual access to the water… Kailangan mare-establish yung physical and visual connection ng mga tao para makikita din nila, malinis yung tubig, that’s what are we trying to protect,” said Alcazaren.Residents consider this a big win, especially in a country where green open spaces are not usually the priority.“Akala namin it could not be done. We did the impossible here in Iloilo. Nakakaproud… (Now) we try to walk almost everyday. It became a routine. And yung mga tao, dito this is where kami nagkukwentuhan, keep up to date,” said esplanade regular Jake Tirol Cocjin.Today, the esplanade still attracts thousands of people-- from locals who walk or ride a bike to work (even Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr was spotted jogging to the Provincial Capitol!), jogging or zumba groups, students practicing for a school performance, to tourists taking pictures of the scenic view.It is also one of the reasons why Iloilo City is consistently named as one of the most livable cities in the Philippines.It’s no surprise why many other local government units or places in the Philippines, like Marikina, want to replicate the Iloilo River Esplanade.However, even the best laid plans and programs can still collapse once corruption seeps into the system.<div> </div><div>ILOILO’S HARD-EARNED PROGRESS AGAINST FLOODING NOW UNDER THREAT</div>Incumbent Mayor Raisa Treñas acknowledges that no flood control system is permanent and perfect, stressing that it requires constant upgrading and rehabilitation to keep pace with climate change and rapid urbanization.The problem, she said, is that instead of improving existing infrastructure, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been pursuing various multimillion-peso projects over the past several years that, in her words, do not make sense.She noted that many of these projects are not even properly integrated into the local drainage system.“Too much na! Before, because of this flood control, hindi na kami binabaha and then bigla lang because of the projects they’ve been doing without proper coordination, 90 or more than 90 barangays here in Iloilo was flooded (during the last storm),” said Treñas.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758790166613creek1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Questionable bike lanes built along creeks. Andrea Taguines, ABS-CBN News</div>One of the flood control projects being questioned by the Iloilo City government is in Barangay Tagbak, where flooding has supposedly worsened after the creek was almost completely obstructed by the construction.According to the DPWH project signage, the nearly P49 million undertaking includes the construction of a bike lane on top of a slope protection structure.However, Mayor Treñas has criticized the project, saying the lane appears excessively wide and out of place.“Yung (ibang) bike lane sa Iloilo, it’s about connectivity. It’s within the city. Why will you put bike lane sa mga creek areas? What’s the purpose? For what?” she said.Some residents, like Virginia Meguillo, also observed that flooding in their area worsened during Tropical Storm Dante in July because the project had blocked the waterway. Meguillo’s 13-year-old child was swept away by the current and drowned.“Masakit na masakit, hindi ko ma-explain kasi anak ko… Sana wala nang susunod na mamatay dahil sa baha,” she said.Former Mayor Jerry Treñas insisted that he tried to stop these projects when he was local chief executive but the DPWH District Engineering Office (DEO) ignored his orders.“These constructions are killers. I issued several cease and desist orders, they never followed,” he said.DPWH Region 6 Regional Director Joel Limpengco, who assumed office only last June, said they have begun inspecting the projects in Iloilo City that have drawn complaints, including the bike lane.He said he has also directed the DEO to coordinate with the local government on every project.“Sa pagkakaalam ko, ang District Engineer ng Iloilo City, parang na-issuehan siya ng persona non grata (by the previous Mayor). So kaya pag iniinvite siya ngayon para mag-attend sa city, hindi siya makapunta kasi nga persona non grata siya. Siguro baka pwedeng i-lift yun,” said Limpengco.For her part, incumbent Mayor Raisa Treñas said the city hall’s doors are open to DPWH personnel willing to hash the issue out and work together to solve the flooding problem.Iloilo City has shown that with proper planning and execution, flood control systems can work.But it’s also a good example of how poorly conceived projects and weak coordination threaten to undo years of progress.As investigations into the flood control corruption scandal move forward, the hope is that accountability will be enforced and reforms put in place—so that Iloilo City, and the rest of the Philippines, can have a fighting chance against worsening floods and the realities of climate change.

Iloilo's hard-earned progress against flooding is now under threat.

Iloilo's hard-earned progress against flooding is now under threat.

Learning from tragedy: Iloilo City’s flood control success and how it’s now at risk

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Learning from tragedy: Iloilo City’s flood control success and how it’s now at risk

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2025 09:39 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 26, 2025 09:36 AM PHT

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flood control

Iloilo

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