Aquino may not attend Dinagyang 2012

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III may not make it for the Dinagyang Festival in January 21-22, 2012 as his schedule is already booked for different advanced appointments.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, however, is unfazed, saying he is doing his best to have Aquino during the festival and inaugurate at least four major city infrastructure projects.

The projects include the new Iloilo City Hall, City Community College, as well as the Esplanade and the Lanit relocation site for informal settlers.

The seven-storey new city hall was built at almost P700 million; the school at P25 million, donated by businessman Edgar Sia of Mang Inasal; the Esplanade project initiated by Senator Franklin Drilon was at P48 million; and the housing project for more than 2,000 displaced informal settler-families at the Lanit relocation site in Jaro district was at P244 million.

Mabilog said the city is a recipient of P144 million housing grant from the National Housing Authority and P100 million from the Office of the President.

Another P100 million grant from the Department of Social Welfare and Development core shelter program will house another 1,000 squatter families.

Meanwhile, the Dinagyang Festival 2012 will have other confirmed guests to include the Ambassadors of the United States and South Africa, officials of Daly City, California, USA, Senators Antonio Trillanes and Franklin M. Drilon, among others. (Lydia C. Pendon)

Posted in: Dinagyang Updates,Iloilo City