USWAG ILOILO / JANUARY 6, 2021USWAG ILOILO landmark installed for a picture perfect for tourists and cyclists the river park known as the Iloilo Esplanade. Iloilo City is known as bike capital of the country.ARNOLD ALMACEN/Iloilo City Mayor’s Office

ILOILO CITY—The local government is gearing up to become a “forest province” with potential boosts to agriculture, disaster resilience, tourism, and economic growth.

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. recently unveiled a roadmap emphasizing the need for collective action to realize this vision.

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At the third Provincial Environmental Awareness Month on Monday, Nov. 4, Defensor urged cooperation across all sectors and municipalities to elevate Iloilo’s greenery.

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READ: Iloilo City to improve forest cover to mitigate heat

Defensor presented projects like Balik Alat 2.0, Tanum Iloilo for MoRProGRes (Movement for a Robust, Progressive, Globally Competitive, and Resilient Province of Iloilo), and Project LISO, each designed to bolster Iloilo’s commitment to becoming a climate-resilient, forest-rich area.

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“The Iloilo provincial government alone cannot achieve this ambitious goal,” he said, highlighting the importance of community and inter-agency support.

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Defensor’s reforestation vision aligns with Executive Order (EO) 195 which revitalizes the Tanum Iloilo program launched in 2019.

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Now rebranded as Tanum Iloilo for MoRProGRes, the program presents “practical strategies and solutions in tree growing and forest development,” Defensor explained.

The EO outlines tree-growing targets to expand forest areas on both government-owned and public forest lands, especially in response to climate challenges.

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Beyond reforestation, the province plans to leverage these green spaces to enhance tourism, food security, and economic growth through the Integrated Social Forest Project (ISFP).

The ISFP complements MoRProGRes Gardens which promote climate resilience and food security while the Turista sa Barangay program aims to foster community tourism in barangays, developing new tourist spots with a green agenda.

“We want Iloilo to be a forest province not just in name but in concrete, practical terms with clear, measurable targets,” Defensor said.

The province’s environmental strategy echoes Singapore’s successful “Garden City” model. Defensor envisions Iloilo as a lush destination, marrying environmental stewardship with economic gains—a unique model within the Philippines.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Western Visayas has ongoing reforestation programs in Iloilo, but provincial efforts are ramping up to create a robust ecological network across public lands.

With both local and national backing, Iloilo’s provincial government hopes to scale up these efforts, creating measurable improvements in green spaces.

Defensor wrapped up the event by reiterating his call for support, inviting municipalities and partners to join forces in planting trees, revitalizing forests, and building a greener, more resilient Iloilo.

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“We want to declare to the whole country and the world our vision for Iloilo—a vision of a forest provinceextreme gaming 88,” Defensor said, signaling Iloilo’s commitment to sustainable development.

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