The Iloilo government launched on Tuesday its ‘whole-of-province’ approach for development dubbed as MorProGRess Iloilo which will serve as a vehicle to achieve the province’s social justice agenda.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said that MorProGRess Iloilo, which stands for a “Movement for a Robust, Progressive and Globally competitive and Resilient Province of Iloilo,” will serve as a vehicle to achieve the province’s social justice agenda.
“It is our whole province approach for development and progress. It is a vehicle for us to realize our social justice agenda because we want the province of Iloilo to be a local government unit that strives for equitable distribution of opportunities and resources of the province through good governance,” Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said in a follow-up interview on Wednesday.
The governor is pushing to maximize agricultural production, create a value chain for agricultural products and open more growth areas for information and communications technology in the province.
The strategy is expected to generate employment and business opportunities in the agriculture, tourism, service, and manufacturing sectors that will help build a strong middle class in the province.
The MoRProGRes website containing all relevant information about the development approach was also unveiled during the launching ceremony held at the provincial capitol lobby.
The launching was the highlight of the celebration of the “122nd Semana sang Iloilo,” the founding anniversary of the province, from April 11 to April 14, 2023.
Meanwhile, one of the projects under the MorProGRess Iloilo is the MoRProGRes Gardens which seeks to create agri-tourism destinations by combining ornamental and landscape gardening and high-value crop production.
A MoRProGRes Gardens show is ongoing at the capitol complex that formed part of the activities for the Semana sang Iloilo.
“It is a food security measure; it is climate change response and a tourism program as well,” Defensor said, adding that the gardens have high-value crops, ornamental flowers with landscaping features, and the use of recyclable materials in gardening. (PNA)
