Iloilo City is set to receive two international recognitions for its efforts on biodiversity restoration and for meeting the standards for the Clean Tourist City Award.

General Services Office chief Neil Ravena said Iloilo City is the sole Philippine representative to be named Role City Model awardee for the Generation Restoration Initiative (2023–2025) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center.

“We will be awarded as Role City Model. I think we are the only city in the Philippines,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.

The validation covered the restoration of biodiversity in the city, including the mangrove restoration in Barangay Bito-on-Hinactacan and the inventory of mangroves at the Iloilo River.

Ravena said the city started with 35 hectares, and based on the current inventory, the area covered is already 85 hectares just along the Iloilo River.

“We have at least 24 species of mangroves present in Iloilo River, and we have three rare species,” he said, adding that this was given weight in the city winning the award.

Sightings of juvenile birds and recent reports on the presence of a python manifests a thriving fauna, he said.

Ravena considered zoning the Iloilo River to handle the co-existence of animals and humans, especially since mangroves are natural habitat of animals.

Iloilo City is also among the recipients of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Clean Tourist City Award for passing their prescribed standards.

Among those subjected to validation were the city’s environmental management, cleanliness and public sanitation; waste management and recycling; environmental protection awareness, green spaces and parks; security; and infrastructure and facilities.

The ASEAN developed the Clean Tourist City Standard to help cities in member countries improve tourism quality.

“Our international partners would like to see that the development of a highly urbanized city should not only be gray or infrastructure. They should also consider the adoption of open spaces and should be included in the plan of the city,” Ravena said. (PNA)