Various developments are in the offing for the Iloilo Esplanade through public-private partnership with one of the country’s leading businessmen, according to Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog.
He said business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan was very interested to engage in a project benefitting the Iloilo River following an exploratory talk the mayor and Sen. Franklin Drilon had with him recently.
The Iloilo River caught the attention of Pangilinan upon knowing it is one of the finalists in the Thiess International River Prize 2013 in Brisbane, Australia in September.
He was impressed by what the Iloilo River Development Council has achieved during the past years through the leadership of Drilon and Mabilog.
“We talked about connecting the Esplanades up to the Rotary Park in Parola,” Mabilog said.
It was envisioned to have a bicycle lane along the whole stretch as well as a river cruise. “This may very well be the longest river boulevard in the country,” the mayor added.
The first Esplanade has a length of 1.2 kms., the same estimated length as the on-going Esplanade II project on its opposite side. The former is along Treñas Boulevard, while the latter is from the Medical City Hospital to San Pedro village in Molo district.
In the pipeline is Esplanade III from Quirino Lopez bridge up to the Parola Ferry Terminal.
