Iloilo City, a Generation Restoration role model city, provides a model for mangrove restoration, with over 100,000 mangrove trees planted along the Iloilo River and showing significant improvement in species diversity in the Iloilo River following mangrove restoration efforts. It has a long-term, multi-agency river and coastal restoration program underway, supported by both national and international partners.

About the city

Iloilo City is home to nearly half a million residents. A city with 18 kilometers of coastline, Iloilo City is located on the southern part of Panay Island in the Philippines. It has a tropical wet and dry climate, with a pronounced dry season, rain during the rest of the year, and high temperatures year-round. Iloilo City is rich in natural resources and cultural and historical attractions, making the city a preferred destination for “MICE travel” (meetings, incentives, conventions, and events). The city also has a strong agricultural sector, and is a culinary capital, deemed a Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO.

Local challenges

Due to its coastal location, Iloilo City is vulnerable to various coastal hazards, including sea-level rise, storm surges, and flooding. Typhoons, which are already prevalent, are projected to occur with increased intensity, exacerbating flood risk. Furthermore, both increasing temperatures and the incidence of drought are projected for Iloilo City, leading to an increase in heat-related illness, water scarcity, and decreased agricultural productivity. Iloilo City’s rapid urban growth has led to the degradation of its natural ecosystems, particularly its mangrove ecosystems along the coast. Furthermore, wastewater from domestic, municipal, and industrial sources carries pollutants and negatively impacts aquatic ecosystems, while plastic pollution clogs drains and waterways, further impacting marine life.

How the city leads in restoration

Iloilo City leads in restoration through a series of cross-sectoral enabling policies and spatial plans that advance environmental preservation and climate resilience, alongside its projects managing coastal and marine ecosystems.

The strategic foundation for Iloilo City is its RISE Iloilo Roadmap, which serves as the city’s overarching sustainability framework. It is based on four pillars, with the acronym RISE: Responsive and inclusive human development (focusing on upgrading social services, education, health, and reducing poverty), Innovative economic development (aiming to boost the local economy through digital, business-friendly policies and infrastructure, and to achieve top-tier city status by 2028), Sustainable environment (focusing on green spaces, improved waste management, and renewable energy), and Essential resilient infrastructure (concentrated on building resilient, functional, and "green" infrastructure). The RISE Iloilo Roadmap integrates nature-based solutions (NbS) into land use planning, climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, public health, renewable energy, and urban mobility, and outlines the city’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Overall, it positions sustainability as a city-wide policy foundation supported by strong multi-sectoral partnerships, as well as major governance goals and objectives. This governance approach is reinforced through formalized inter-agency coordination across city offices, enabling performance-based monitoring and long-term continuity of restoration initiatives.

Important policies and strategies for Iloilo City include a Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Urban Biodiversity Management Plan, Integrated Coastal Resource Management Plan, and Local Climate Action Plan. In particular, the 2021–2029 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) formally ensures spatial regulation is integrated with urban greening, mangrove rehabilitation, green corridors, parks, and vertical greening. Iloilo’s planned adoption of the City Biodiversity Index strengthens biodiversity governance, evidence-based policy, and community biomonitoring, ensuring ecological functions are protected across both built and natural environments. 

Iloilo City is a leader at the forefront of ecosystem restoration through its management of coastal and marine areas, particularly through its extensive restoration of mangrove ecosystems. The city has conducted various mangrove studies and inventories to assess mangrove health, implemented planting efforts across key areas, including the Esplanade, Floodway, and coastal zones, and carried out regular clean-up activities in mangrove sites. Iloilo City is extending its mangrove protection efforts to about 80 hectares of riverside land, including along its downtown esplanade. Since 2010, the city has planted more than 100,000 mangroves in various locations along the Iloilo River, covering about 70 hectares, and developed the 12 km-long Iloilo River Esplanade Corridor. These efforts are part of the broader Iloilo–Batiano River Preservation program, which remains ongoing and continues to evolve through periodic master plan updates.

This Iloilo River Esplanade Corridor restoration project involved targeted actions to reduce water pollution and support mangrove health. The project also improves access to green space through NbS, including regular river clean-ups, silt removal through dredging, wastewater treatment, planting of mangrove seedlings, clearing of structures and obstructions in waterways, removal of illegal fish pens, promotion of alternative livelihoods, and the development of walkways and landscaping features. This also involved the relocation of around 5,000 informal settlers to new housing units, to improve safety and reduce pollution around the river. Since its implementation, this project has seen significant improvements in biodiversity and species diversity in the river, such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, crustaceans, and the rare freshwater emerald shrimp. The project has benefited from technical assistance from international partners, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), alongside collaboration with local NGOs and private sector stakeholders. 

The ILOILO CITY CARES (Climate Actions towards RESilience) Project involves various initiatives to combat climate change and preserve the city’s environment. This includes numerous projects to enhance green space throughout the city while supporting alternative mobility options. By aligning urban greening with transportation corridors, the city’s open spaces are now being brought to a higher level of function, addressing flooding and storm surge while promoting community stewardship and raising ecological awareness. CARES initiatives are implemented alongside other strategic partnerships, such as Project TRANSFORM, which aims to transform Iloilo City spaces into urban greeneries incorporating nature-based solutions to improve air quality and regulate urban temperatures.

Other complementary projects include regional watershed restoration that utilizes payment for environmental services schemes, eco-friendly urban farming that repurposes vacant spaces for agricultural projects to advance food security, and green building and construction projects that feature water efficiency, waste recycling, and energy efficiency. Urban agriculture initiatives further support livelihood development, circular economy principles, and land optimization at the neighborhood scale.

Iloilo City has further strengthened sustainability through several executive orders and local ordinances, including an Executive Order that institutionalizes weekly cleanup and gardening days, promoting continuous community-led urban greening. Furthermore, solid waste and circular economy policies have expanded Materials Recovery Facilities, enhanced recycling and waste diversion, and integrated waste pickers into formal circular economy systems.

Highlight impact metrics

Ecosystem restoration & nature-based solutions

  • 100,000+ mangroves planted since 2010
  • ~70 hectares of mangroves restored along the Iloilo River
  • ~80 hectares of riverside land under mangrove protection/extension
  • 12 km Iloilo River Esplanade Corridor developed
  • Regular river clean-ups institutionalized
  • Wastewater treatment implemented
  • Illegal fish pens and obstructions removed
  • Silt removed through dredging

Social & livelihood outcomes

  • ~5,000 informal settlers relocated to safer housing
  • Alternative livelihoods promoted in river and mangrove areas
  • Waste pickers integrated into circular economy programs

Urban resilience & mobility

  • Active transport and low-emission public transport embedded in city planning
  • Urban greening integrated into transport corridors
  • Increased public access to green and blue spaces

Waste & circular economy

  • Solid Waste Management Information System operational in all 180 barangays
  • Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility planned (400 tons/day capacity)
  • Expanded Materials Recovery Facilities and waste diversion

Role Model City

City Map

Ecosystem Types

Farmlands, Freshwaters, Oceans and coasts and Urban areas

Climate, Biodiversity, and Pollution Risks Addressed

  • Extreme temperatures
  • Droughts
  • Sea-level rise
  • Extreme precipitation / flooding
  • Habitat destruction
  • Species loss / extinction
  • Ecosystem degradation
  • Water pollution
  • Waste mismanagement

Restoration Techniques Applied

  • Canal restoration
  • Dredging
  • Ecological connectivity
  • Mangrove restoration
  • Native species
  • Parks & green spaces
  • Pollution control
  • Tree planting
  • Urban agriculture
  • Waste management
  • Wetland restoration
Dense mangrove vegetation along the Iloilo River in Barangay Sooc (Arevalo), where slower tidal flows support naturally established mangroves along the riverbank. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Mangrove planting sites in Barangay Ingore (La Paz) located along brackish riverbanks connected to the Iloilo River system, an inland–coastal interface area. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Young mangrove propagules planted along low-lying river edges in Barangay Ingore (La Paz), forming linear belts and clustered patches that help stabilize riverbanks and shallow water margins. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Planting of riverine mangroves in Barangay Hinactacan (La Paz) in low-lying tidal margins of the Iloilo River system, shaped by slow-moving brackish water and fine sediment deposition. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Mangrove planting areas in Barangay Ingore embedded within a dense urban setting, where riverbank vegetation coexists with nearby housing, access roads, and small waterways. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Mangrove planting along the Iloilo Esplanade 4, which extends the city’s riverfront esplanade system along the Iloilo River, providing a linear public walkway serving predominantly residential neighborhoods in La Paz–Lapuz. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Iloilo Esplanade 7 is a wider, more open section of the riverfront corridor, with broad walkways and long sightlines that emphasize the scale of the Iloilo River. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
This section of Iloilo Esplanade 7 marks a transition from more structured urban riverfront spaces to a more open, landscape-oriented river setting. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Iloilo Esplanade 6 is a regularly used riverfront segment, supporting daily walking and jogging activities with shaded seating and pedestrian paths. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).
Mangrove rehabilitation sites in Barangays Bitoon and Balabago (Jaro) along narrow riverbanks and tidal creeks of the upper Iloilo River system, where replanting supports the gradual recovery of degraded estuarine edges. Credit: Mr. Deny H. Jover, Administrative Staff, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (OCENRO).

Beyond restoration

Iloilo City is advancing climate action through several initiatives, including a draft local Energy Code Ordinance promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and safety standards. Renewable energy incentives for households and businesses are encouraging city-wide clean energy adoption. These policies reduce emissions while complementing ecosystem-based climate solutions. Furthermore, several projects advance solid waste management in the city. Project AGUBAY utilizes a Solid Waste Management Information System within all 180 barangays (the smallest administrative division and basic political unit in the Philippines) of Iloilo City, improving data, planning, and community engagement for waste reduction. Furthermore, the in-development Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility will convert waste into energy, accommodating up to 400 tons of garbage daily. Energy generated from the facility will power a desalination plant, providing potable water to the city. 

Iloilo City is the first city in the Philippines to complete a Local Public Transport Route Plan. This plan supports the use of modernized, low-emission public transport, active transport infrastructure, and future mass transit systems, effectively embedding low-carbon mobility into city planning. Furthermore, through the “Green Meets Great” program, Iloilo City is positioning itself as the country’s first Green MICE City, integrating renewable energy use, waste reduction standards, paperless systems, and bike-friendly mobility into the tourism and events value chain.

What other cities can learn

Iloilo City offers the following advice for other cities to integrate nature into urban sustainability planning:

  • Adopt citywide sustainability frameworks and codify them in official planning and regulatory instruments
  • Design nature-based solutions as enabling infrastructure that support multiple urban systems, not just beautification
  • Align restoration, waste, and climate programs with livelihood creation and local economic development
  • Use planning tools and indicators to safeguard biodiversity and ecological function as cities grow
  • A clear long-term sustainability vision enables continuity, financing, and public trust

This planet is not ours to use, it’s ours to protect… Trees give us clean air, shade and life… but this tree planting won’t just end today, it is just the beginning.

— Mayor Raisa S. Treñas (current mayor, 2025-28), during a citywide tree-planting activity for World Environment Day

Our journey towards success is marked by strides we have taken to ensure that no one, no Ilonggo is left behind. All these efforts are anchored in our crucial role to localize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, intertwined with our strategic roadmap, RISE Iloilo City, a continuation of our WHEELS (Welfare, Health, Education, Environment, Livelihood, and Sustainability) for inclusive development program.

— Former Mayor Jerry P. Treñas (2019-2025)

Further resources