ILOILO – The Iloilo Provincial Government has sounded the alarm over what officials now describe as a full-scale public health crisis, after the province logged 5,195 road crashes and 167 deaths in only nine months this year — a record that health authorities say can no longer be dismissed as isolated incidents.
The figures, released by the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) based on data obtained from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), also recorded 384 major injuries and 2,057 minor injuries — numbers that provincial officials warn are stretching emergency response capacity and devastating families across municipalities.
“The number of road accidents in the province keeps rising… from January to September… these resulted in severe public health outcomes,” said IPHO head Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon.
Areas With the Highest Crash Incidence
The municipalities with the most road crash incidents are: Santa Barbara (561), Oton (489), Pototan (394), Pavia (309), Tigbauan (269), Miag-ao (189), Dingle (171), Zarraga (151), and Anilao (132).
The component city of Passi recorded 309 crashes.
A second cluster of 33 municipalities also reported significant crash numbers, including Calinog (132), Barotac Nuevo (129), Sara (125), Leganes (123), Dueñas (114), Guimbal (108), Cabatuan (99), Lambunao (99), Janiuay (93), Barotac Viejo (85), Ajuy (78), San Joaquin (76), Carles (74), Leon (74), Maasin (74), Concepcion (67), Alimodian (64), New Lucena (64), Mina (58), Badiangan (56), San Enrique (55), Banate (50), San Dionisio (50), Igbaras (48), Dumangas (43), Tubungan (41), San Rafael (36), Balasan (32), Lemery (30), Bingawan (17), San Miguel (14), Batad (11), and Estancia (two).
Where Fatalities Are Highest
Road crash deaths were most frequent in: Barotac Viejo (10), Janiuay (nine), Pototan (eight), Cabatuan (eight), Passi City (seven), Calinog (seven), Ajuy (seven), Concepcion (seven), San Dionisio (seven), and Balasan (six).
These municipalities, according to IPHO, should be prioritized for urgent improvements in emergency medical response and fatality-reduction programs.
A Province ‘Crying for Help’
“We recorded 5,195 road crashes in just nine months. That’s statistics cry for help, a wake up call that we as province cannot just ignore. In Santa Barbara, Oton, and Pototan families are grieving, healing, trying to rebuild,” Quiñon said.
Motorcycles, Cars Account for 86% of All Crashes
Motorcycles (3,224) and cars/multicabs (3,057) made up more than 86 percent of all vehicles involved in crashes — a trend IPHO says calls for targeted intervention, especially among private motorists and younger riders.
The top areas for motorcycle-related crashes are: Santa Barbara (428), Pavia (321), Oton (273), Passi City (191), Leganes (170), Zarraga (127), Sara (126), Tigbauan (107), Anilao (90), and Pototan (88).
IPHO’s Road Safety Recommendations
To address the surge in incidents, IPHO outlined the following measures:
1. Targeted Motorcycle Safety Campaign
– Prioritize Santa Barbara, Pavia, and Oton
– Stress helmet use, defensive driving, anti-speeding habits, and distraction-free riding
2. Hotspot Inter-Agency Collaboration
– Convene IPPO and local government units of Santa Barbara, Oton, Pototan, Passi City, and Pavia
– Identify crash-prone intersections and highway segments
– Implement engineering fixes and stricter enforcement
3. Enhanced Post-Crash Emergency Response
– Upgrade ambulance dispatch and first-aid protocols
– Strengthen trauma care capacity in high-fatality municipalities like Barotac Viejo, Janiuay, Pototan, and Cabatuan
4. Truck and Logistics Safety Review
– Work with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and local business groups to require safety seminars for commercial and truck drivers
– Focus on trucking corridors in Pavia and Oton
‘Crashes Are Preventable’ — IPHO
“Crashes are not destined, they are preventable. Every time you wear a helmet, every time you slow down, every time you choose patience over anger in the road you save a life. Let us protect each other on the road because every Ilonggo life is precious. Every family deserves to be whole, and every journey deserves a safe return,” Quiñon emphasized.
She also urged the IPPO and other enforcement agencies to intensify implementation of traffic rules and regulations.
For LGUs, she appealed for clear, visible road signages, improved lighting on dark stretches of road, and warnings on potholes that pose crash risks.
Quiñon further reminded residents to keep pets such as dogs and cats secured inside compounds to avoid roadway hazards.
“Ginapanawagan tanan nga LGUs nga maghimu kita or magpatuman sang ordinansa nga nagaprotehir sang kabuhi kag indi lang nga naga-multa kay sa kada biyahe ta may pamiya nga nagahulat nga magapuli kita. Indi pag-ibaliwala ang aton kabuhi. Maghalong kag magrespeto sa dalan kay ang aksidente wala nagapili oras kag wala man nagapili sang tawo,” she added./PN
