ILOILO City – With traffic congestion expected to intensify as students return to school and Dinagyang Festival preparations accelerate, the Iloilo City government is pushing a proposed “park-and-ride” system to curb the growing dominance of private vehicles on city roads.
Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Transportation, said the city must now address what he described as a structural imbalance in road use, noting that nearly 80 percent of vehicles plying Iloilo City streets are privately owned.
“This means that the majority still prefer to bring their own vehicles when entering the city,” Cabaluna said, stressing that this preference has been a major contributor to worsening congestion, particularly during the recent holiday rush.
Traffic conditions during the recent holidays should serve as a warning, he added, especially with January expected to bring heavier vehicle volume due to school resumption and the staging of the Dinagyang Festival.
To address this, Cabaluna said his committee is in talks with private schools to explore a “park and drive” or “park and ride” arrangement, where motorists would leave their vehicles in designated areas and shift to public transport or school-provided vehicles.
“If implemented properly, this could significantly reduce traffic during peak hours,” he said.
The councilor also urged motorists to observe discipline on the road, particularly in following designated loading and unloading zones.
“This will not be easy, but with cooperation from the public, traffic congestion can be eased, especially during rush hours, holidays, and festival seasons,” Cabaluna said.
Meanwhile, Halley Alcarde, general manager of the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC), said the proposed system is timely and long overdue.
“This would result to public travel convenience and ease traffic congestion in the city,” Alcarde said.
He pointed to the wide gap between the number of private vehicles and available public transport units in Iloilo City.
“If you look at the ratio of private vehicles compared to public transport, it’s very large. That’s why having a park-and-ride scheme is advisable,” he said, adding that sufficient terminal spaces would be needed to accommodate parked vehicles.
Alcarde said WVTC fully supports the proposal but cautioned that increasing the number of buses cannot be done instantly.
“Not immediately, but if this is implemented gradually and not in a drastic manner, it will be manageable on our part,” he said.
City officials said discussions on the park-and-ride proposal are continuing as Iloilo City searches for sustainable traffic solutions amid rapid urban growth and rising vehicle ownership.
Early this week, motorists and commuters were warned to brace for major traffic disruptions as authorities impose extensive road closures and rerouting schemes for the back-to-back opening salvos of the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan and competing Ati tribes of the Dinagyang Festival, with dozens of primary streets set to be closed for two consecutive afternoons beginning January 10, festival organizers announced.
The opening salvo of Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan is scheduled on January 10 (Saturday), followed by the Dinagyang Festival 2026 opening salvo on January 11 (Sunday), with both events running from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and performances staged at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand (City Proper) and the Iloilo Sports Complex (La Paz).
Festival organizers said contingents from various Iloilo municipalities will headline Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan, while seven Dinagyang tribes will take center stage during the city’s opening salvo the following day.
Authorities said both parades will follow the same route starting from the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, passing through major thoroughfares in the City Proper, and ending at the Iloilo Sports Complex, prompting the temporary closure of key sections of Muelle Loney, JM Basa Street, Peralta Street, Ortiz Street, Bonifacio Drive, General Luna Street, and other roads in the City Proper, La Paz, and even Jaro districts.
To ease congestion, one-way traffic schemes will be enforced in selected streets, trucks and trailers will be barred from major connecting routes, and public utility vehicles will follow designated rerouting plans, while traffic closures will take effect as early as 11 a.m. on both days.
Festival officials said the traffic measures are part of the thrust “Dinagyang Para sa Tanan,” aimed at ensuring public safety and a smoother, more inclusive opening of Dinagyang 2026./PN
