Urban growth outpacing regulation
ILOILO City’s growth has long been a source of pride. Once known primarily as a quiet regional capital, the city has steadily transformed into...
Iloilo City’s housing needs are evolving
WHY ARE so many boarding houses in Iloilo City thriving outside the regulatory system? The discovery that nearly 2,000 boarding houses in the metro...
Illegal boarding houses – regulate today, or regret tomorrow
THAT nearly 2,000 boarding houses in Iloilo City are operating without business permits should alarm both authorities and the public. The figures released by...
Energy poverty in Western Visayas
AS REPORTED by this paper recently, the government’s Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program, which promises free electricity for nearly 150,000 poor households in Western Visayas,...
Helping the poor without encouraging dependency
NEARLY 150,000 poor households in Western Visayas are set to enjoy free electricity under the government’s Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program, a welcome relief for...
The time to act is before tragedy, not after
IT SEEMS the government has a troubling habit when it comes to infrastructure problems: action often comes only after disaster strikes. Buildings are repaired...
A Hall of Justice on borrowed time
THERE ARE places where the public expects certainty. A courthouse is one of them. It is where disputes are settled, rights are defended, and...
Is March the only time we talk about fire?
EVERY March, the sirens ring out across Western Visayas.
Fire trucks roll through streets. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) holds motorcades, stage performances, and...
Fire prevention is shared — but is accountability also shared?
ACROSS Western Visayas every March, the message rings out clearly: fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Households are reminded to unplug appliances, avoid overloaded outlets,...
The fire risk factor we don’t talk about
WHEN THE Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) announced that 74 barangays in Iloilo City are classified as high-risk, the focus immediately turned to electrical...