Iloilo City received the Livable City Award at the 3rd CityNet United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) City Awards.
The citation was for Iloilo City's significant contributions in
localizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“I am
overjoyed to share that CityNet has recognized Iloilo City as the Most Livable
City! This prestigious honor is a testament to our shared dedication, hard
work, and unwavering commitment to making our metro a better place for
everyone. Together, we continue to rise and create a city we can all be proud
of,” said Mayor Jerry Trenas.
Engr. Neil Ravena, head of the City General Services Office,
presented to the Asia and the Pacific regional leaders one of Iloilo City's
best practices, the Iloilo River Esplanade.
The Iloilo River Esplanade is one of Iloilo City's prides when
it comes to green, sustainable developments, as it has successfully linked
urban living with an active lifestyle. The esplanade is a key component of the
city's river rehabilitation project, which also involved relocating informal
settlers and removing the stilt houses, initiating massive mangrove planting
initiatives, releasing juvenile fish into the river for stock enhancement, and
sustained river cleanups involving various sectors.
This year's CityNet UNESCAP SDG City Awards were held Tuesday,
November 19, at the Iloilo Convention Center.
The annual awards program promotes knowledge sharing of
innovative best practices in sustainable urban development. Each year, new
competition categories are selected among in-demand urban issues to spur cities
to contribute policies and practices on the most pressing problems cities are
facing.
The winners are:
- 1st place: Busan City, South Korea's Deullak Nallak - Busan Children's Cultural Complex
- 2nd place: Baguio City, Philippines' Mapping Urban Resilience: A Digital Twin to Baguio's Livability Index
- 3rd place: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's 1 Community, 1 Recycle
Iloilo
City received a special citation for being a "Livable City" for its
significant contributions in localizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.
Makati
City, meanwhile, garnered the Audience Choice Award for its Public Service
Caravan.
This year's thematic categories are: Inclusive City, Smart
City, Circular City, and Resilient City.