ICARE Centers: Strengthening Iloilo City’s Emergency Response and Public Safety

Mayor Jerry Treñas’ Iloilo City Action and Response (ICARE) Centers project is a landmark initiative aimed at transforming the city’s emergency and public safety response. With a deep commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of every Ilonggo, Treñas envisions ICARE as a symbol of proactive, resilient, and community-driven governance.

Far from being just another infrastructure project, the ICARE Centers represent a new way of thinking about emergency response: one that is fast, integrated, and deeply rooted in community service. Each center is designed to serve as a command hub for multiple agencies, including the police, fire services, traffic enforcers, and medical responders. By bringing them together under one roof, the city ensures faster, more coordinated action when it matters most.

“My commitment to public service is unwavering, and at the core of that commitment is ensuring the safety and well-being of every Ilonggo,” Treñas said. “These centers are not just buildings. They are a reflection of the kind of governance that puts people first.”

The ICARE Centers are strategically located in key barangays—Calumpang (Molo), Balantang and Ungka (Jaro), Nabitasan (La Paz), Tanza Esperanza (City Proper), Sooc (Arevalo), and the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao. While some centers are still being developed, the vision is already clear: to create a responsive and resilient emergency network that cuts across district lines and bureaucratic delays.

One of the most ambitious ICARE facilities is rising in Mandurriao, on a 2,500-square-meter lot generously donated by Megaworld Corporation. Once completed, it will not only house emergency responders but also feature a public library, a barangay hall, and a health center—expanding the idea of emergency response into a broader model of community care.

Treñas’s vision goes beyond logistics—it speaks to the core values of Ilonggo society: bayanihan, preparedness, and compassion.

“Gina-tinguhaan gid naton nga hatagan sang nagakaigo nga dekalidad nga serbisyo publiko ang tagsa sa aton mga pumuluyo,” he said. “Sa sini nga pamaagi, mas madasig pagid ang aton pag-responde sa tion sang emerhensya kag kalamidad sa tagsa ka komunidad.”

The initiative has gained national attention. In March 2025, former Vice President Leni Robredo, along with officials from Naga City, visited Iloilo to study the ICARE model and explore how a similar system could be applied in their own locality.

“Emergencies do not wait, and neither do we,” Mayor Treñas emphasized. “With ICARE Centers in place, we are strengthening disaster preparedness, crime prevention, and public safety. We are building a city where no one is left behind.”

The ICARE Centers are more than just a response to calamities—they are a proactive statement of purpose. They are the city’s pledge to every Ilonggo: in your time of need, we are already on the way.