ILOILO City – The city government’s Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) acknowledged that intervention by traffic aides and the manual overriding of traffic lights are contributing to worsening congestion along major roads, particularly the Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road), but insisted these measures are necessary responses to surging vehicle volume this holiday season.
TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos addressed mounting online criticism claiming that traffic slows down whenever enforcers take over intersections, saying the city has already imposed disciplinary measures and reforms within its ranks to curb abuses and inefficiencies.
“Last year, we already carried out a lot of empowerment programs and hopefully many have changed because perspectives have shifted. We explained many things, over 200 personnel this year alone. Some were terminated; some reprimanded; some suspended. These are actions we enforce on our personnel,” Garbanzos said.
He stressed that traffic congestion has become unavoidable as Iloilo City continues to attract more visitors, businesses, and major events, especially during the Yuletide rush.
“The City of Iloilo is a destination for many and hosts major activities. When there are major activities, recurring traffic will always be there. The Yuletide season is one major cause because of vehicle volume. Our enforcers are there to manage it, but sometimes we do have laggards, and they face administrative action,” he added.
Garbanzos said TTMO is now on full alert status, with traffic aides deployed citywide and subject to closer monitoring by inspection teams from both TTMO and the City Mayor’s Office.
“Everyone has been briefed. We expect heavy traffic, so they should be visible. If they are not, then we impose administrative action,” he said.
One of the most controversial practices raised by motorists involves the manual override of traffic lights or signals, particularly during peak hours. Garbanzos defended the procedure, saying it follows established operating protocols.
“Our SOP (standard operating procedure) is that when an intersection becomes too congested, a supervisor has the discretion to place traffic lights on flashing mode. Before doing that, they call Operations so we know a light is being set to flashing,” he explained.
According to Garbanzos, traffic flow decisions are made based on where congestion is most severe.
“Once a road backs up, we prioritize releasing vehicles from that direction. If outbound lanes are clogged, we extend their movement. If inbound or crossing vehicles are the ones piling up, then we prioritize them. Sometimes traffic lights cannot accommodate a long queue, kilometer-long or 300 meters of waiting vehicles,” he said.
He added that manual intervention is intended to prevent complete standstills at busy intersections.
“We want smoother and faster vehicle movement. The flashing helps release corners where vehicles are stuck,” Garbanzos said.
Responding to complaints that traffic lights are more frequently turned off precisely when roads are busiest, Garbanzos confirmed the practice and framed it as an operational necessity.
“Yes, that is one complaint we’ve seen. For us, we are mandated to manage traffic. We cannot wait for the City Council to convene an emergency session just to authorize us. It is a management function of our office so we can respond to real-time street scenarios,” he said.
Garbanzos conceded that internal reforms remain a work in progress, particularly among traffic aides on the ground.
“I agree there must be reforms among traffic aides. That is accepted by our office because we are dedicating efforts for their empowerment,” he said, noting that last year’s initiatives marked only the start of broader reforms.
Despite persistent criticism, the TTMO chief appealed for public understanding, citing a combination of holiday traffic, rising commercial activity, and growing vehicle ownership.
“This is for public safety. We just need cooperation from motorists,” he said./PN
