ILOILO City — The Iloilo City Government is moving to tighten oversight of its nearly 300 government-owned vehicles through the proposed establishment of a central garage, a key requirement for the full implementation of a digital fleet management system aimed at improving accountability, monitoring fuel consumption, and preventing the misuse of official vehicles.
General Services Office (GSO) head Engr. Neil Ravena said the proposal has already been submitted to Mayor Raisa Treñas as the city seeks to consolidate all government vehicles in one official facility after office hours.
“We have around 300 government-owned vehicles, but only about half can be accommodated by our existing parking areas. That’s why we’re proposing an official garage where all city government vehicles can be housed after office hours,” Ravena said.
Among the locations being considered for the proposed central garage are the city motor pool, the parking building currently being constructed by the Iloilo City Government, and a Government Service Insurance System (GSIS)-owned property near Plaza Libertad.
Currently, government vehicles are dispersed across several locations, including the Freedom Grandstand, the city motor pool, and the Port San Pedro area. Ambulances and other emergency response vehicles remain stationed at their respective ICARE centers.
Ravena said housing all city vehicles in a single facility would enable authorities to exercise stricter supervision over the government’s vehicle fleet.
“All vehicles should be inside the official City Government garage beyond official working hours. If they’re all in one place, we can easily determine where every vehicle is and ensure they are being used properly,” he said.
He added that the centralized setup would also improve monitoring of vehicle dispatches and fuel consumption through stricter documentation.
“We want to establish proper fleet management. That means every vehicle movement will be supported by approved trip tickets, and fuel consumption can also be monitored. It will improve accountability and help ensure that government resources are used only for official purposes,” Ravena said.
Although government regulations prohibit the parking of official vehicles in unauthorized areas after office hours, Ravena acknowledged that the city has been flexible because it still lacks a designated central garage capable of accommodating the entire fleet.
“The rule has always been that government vehicles should not be parked just anywhere after office hours. However, we’ve had to be flexible because we still don’t have an official garage that can accommodate all of them,” he said.
Ravena also disclosed that the GSO has already completed a digital fleet management system, but said its full rollout hinges on the establishment of the proposed garage.
“I’ve already prepared the digital fleet management system. What we’re waiting for now is the official garage where all government vehicles can be parked. Once that’s in place, we can fully implement the system and manage the entire fleet more efficiently,” he said.
Once operational, the proposed central garage is expected to improve inventory control, streamline maintenance scheduling, strengthen fuel management, and ensure stricter compliance with government regulations governing the use of official vehicles./PN
