The Department of Public Works and Highways is starting to lay down the construction this month of January the P60 million Iloilo Esplanade 2 project for almost one kilometer Iloilo River stretch from the Medical City Hospital to Brgy. San Pedro vehicle terminal in Molo district.
This was announced by Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog recently after getting the advance information from DPWH Reg. Dir. Edilberto Tayao.
DPWH completed last year the P70 million Esplanade I along the Ephraim Treñas Boulevard, also at the Iloilo River from the diversion road up to the Carpenter’s Bridge in Mandurriao district.
Esplanade I and Esplanade II are projects of the government facilitated jointly by Ilonggo Senator Franklin M. Drilon, Mabilog and lone district city congressman Jerry P. Treñas and agreed upon by the Iloilo River Development Council in protecting and enhancing the Iloilo River.
Esplanade II will pass through the Iloilo River up to the barangay ecopark project of Brgy. Capt. Cirilo Lapascua of San Pedro which will be developed and further enhanced for people to enjoy like in Esplanade I.
Esplanade I was designed by world class architect Paolo Alcazaren who also designed the Singapore quay in Singapore.
Mabilog said that aside from the ecopark at Brgy. San Pedro, the six-hectare lot owned by the city government at Brgy. San Pedro, Molo will be developed and constructed with the Iloilo City sports complex and medium rise buildings to accommodate the informal settlers who will be displaced by the Esplanade II project.
The city mayor assured there will be no displacement of informal settler-families as the medium rise buildings will be for them to reside.
Phase I of Esplanade II was contracted by Roprim Construction in the amount of P39.6 million. The contractor was also the one who won the bidding to construct Esplanade I last year.
Also on the DPWH pipeline is Esplanade III to be constructed from the Quirino Lopez Bridge up to the Parola ferry terminal area in Fort San Pedro after the completion of Esplanade II.
