Architect and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren, who helped develop the 9-kilometer Iloilo River Esplanade, also said that with the architecture boom in the country, it is crucial for urban planners, architects, and engineers to go for green architecture and to design environmental-friendly infrastructure models and landscapes.

Meanwhile, DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, said that Iloilo City has become a model for other Local Government Units (LGUs) in creating their own coastal parks or “esplanades”.

For the city to achieve a greener footprint, Loyzaga pointed out that there should be a greenhouse gas inventory and a need “for risk-informed nexus governance.”

“We must seek a greener footprint to battle climate change. Every fraction of a degree counts,” the secretary stressed.

The Iloilo City Government has already developed several environmental-friendly initiatives that serve as models to other LGUs, which include the waste-to-energy project and electronic transport system in partnership with the private sector; the massive tree planting in plazas, floodways, roads, and other open spaces; the Tree Park Network Project, and the redevelopment of the city’s two biggest public markets. (AAL/JNH/PIA6 Iloilo)