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 the Iloilo City Boarding House Commission reveal that 1,867 of the 4,139 inspected boarding houses lack permits, a situation that raises serious questions about the safety of thousands of tenants — many of them students and young workers who rely on these facilities as affordable places to stay.
Beyond bureaucratic compliance, the situation is fundamentally an issue of public safety.
Boarding houses are often densely occupied residential structures. When safety standards are ignored — when there are no fire exits, no fire extinguishers, no smoke detectors, and questionable electrical wiring — the consequences can be catastrophic. Boarding houses, dormitories, and small residential structures can become deadly traps when fires break out or when poorly built structures collapse. This was what happened to several boarding houses in Iloilo City’s La Paz district a few years back – there were two unfortunate casualties, a student and a call center agent.
Across the country, there have been similar tragic incidents. In many cases, the victims were students and workers who had simply sought inexpensive accommodation close to their schools or jobs. Investigations following such tragedies often reveal the same pattern: lack of permits, absence of safety features, and weak enforcement of regulations.
The ongoing inspections conducted by the Iloilo City Government’s Boarding House Commission are a step in the right direction. It deserves credit for intensifying efforts to identify establishments operating without permits and to ensure that rental facilities comply with zoning and safety requirements. Yet the numbers themselves show the magnitude of the challenge. When nearly half of inspected boarding houses lack permits, it suggests that informal and unregulated operations have become widespread.
Particularly troubling is the presence of boarding houses in coastal areas where structures are exposed to strong monsoon winds and flooding. Authorities have warned that buildings in such locations must observe a 20- to 40-meter buffer zone from the shoreline. Ignoring these regulations places tenants at serious risk, especially during the habagat season.
This situation highlights a critical principle in governance: prevention is always better than reaction. Too often, reforms only come after tragedy strikes. Fires and other preventable disasters prompt investigations, public outrage, and promises of stricter enforcement — only for vigilance to fade once the headlines disappear. The cycle repeats itself because preventive measures were not sustained.
Iloilo City has an opportunity to break that cycle. Proactive inspections must continue and, if possible, be expanded. Authorities should ensure that boarding houses meet basic safety requirements before they are allowed to operate. Structures that pose immediate danger must be closed until they comply with regulations. At the same time, city officials should help small operators understand the requirements needed to legalize their establishments, so compliance becomes achievable rather than burdensome.
Tenants themselves must also exercise vigilance. Before renting a room, prospective boarders should check whether a facility has a valid business permit and visible safety features. Parents sending their children to study in Iloilo should likewise be mindful of the conditions of the accommodations they choose.
Ultimately, however, the responsibility rests with the authorities to ensure that safety standards are not optional.
Iloilo City is known as an educational and commercial hub that attracts thousands of students and workers from across the region. These individuals trust that the city where they study and work will provide safe living conditions. That trust must not be betrayed by lax enforcement or by the normalization of unsafe housing.
Regulate today, or regret tomorrow.
