ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- Incoming Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Felipe M. Medalla lauds the development the Iloilo City has achieved in the past several years.

Medalla, now Monetary Board member, noted this in his message, during his visit here as he led the groundbreaking ceremony of the BSP Iloilo’s new and state-of-the-art building at Broadway St., Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao district, here, June 17.

On the contrary, his third visit to the City turned out to be the most memorable for him.

“There is one thing I can never forget. We took the plane to Iloilo, travelled in the air for 30 minutes only to be told we’re going back to Manila. That was the longest trip that I have taken that after an hour, I’m exactly where I came from,” he said, citing the reason for such was due to the flooding in the airport.

In a peculiar situation, ten years after such an event, when he was part of the cabinet of then President Joseph E. Estrada, he supported the development project of that very airport pushed by Senator Franklin Drilon.

pondered upon by his colleagues in the BSP, particularly the branch in this City as they are set to transfer to their new location.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas recognized the change BSP will bring as it moves towards the now-considered business center of the metro – creating more employment opportunities and further prospering the local economy.

“Right on this site, a new building will rise that will pave the way for broad and convenient access to high-quality financial  services and consider the interest of the general public,” Treñas said. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)