WHEN MY relatives from abroad would have their periodic vacation here in Iloilo City, they would always commend how beautiful the city has become. Aside from family reunions and meetings with their friends and former classmates, they would always look forward to lagaw all-day, take pictures of the “instagrammable” views, kag kadtuan ang mga kalan-an nga kampiyon gid ang mga pagkaon.
And we would be very proud to tour them around. Ginapabugal gid namon ang mga malls, high-rise buildings, coffee shops, parks, heritage houses, kag siyempre ang mga Ilonggo delicacies.
Our itinerary would usually start at Villa, then go to Molo, and drive all the way to Jaro. Of course, they have visited some of these places before, but the feel of it, of traversing Iloilo City, of identifying old landmarks and finding new ones, give them that “updated” identity of being an Ilonggo. They go back to their work and families in Japan or Australia as “renewed” Ilonggos.
And just like any other balikbayan, they can’t help but compare how Melbourne, Australia is better or how Nagano, Japan is more organized than Iloilo City. Of course, their observations are well-founded. Even then, they are still impressed as to how Iloilo City has improved since their last visit. However…
“Ay, wala pa ni matapos ang flyover? Sang pagpuli namon di sadto daw ginaobra naman ni?”
As an Ilonggo, how do you explain the ongoing construction/investigation of this flyover? A simple question about this flyover would eventually lead to other topics that would put into question the ideals and principles the City of Iloilo has stood for: effective leadership, good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Unfortunately, this flyover is a landmark we cannot totally avoid when we fetch them from or bring them to the airport. These are the unavoidable two instances of discussing (again and again) the plight of this structure. My relatives would somehow begin and end their vacation seeing this eyesore.
Kahuluya. Kung ano kanami na tani ang istoryahanay sa pagsugat ukon pagdul-ong sa ila sa airport, paglabay mo sa flyover, nagalas-ay ang tanan. Mayu lang manamit gid man ang mga pagkaon naton. Bawi-bawi nalang. Ay, ambot.
Indi man guro bulag ang aton mga city officials. Nagasugat kag dul-ong man ni sila guro sang ila mga pamilya sa airport. Ano ayhan ang ila gina-istoryahan kung maglabay sila sa flyover?
With this very visible proof of corruption, how can the Ilonggos, especially the daily commuters in the flyover area, be proud of some of these recent awards received by our beloved City of Iloilo?
1. Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit (City Level 1B) by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) for 2025;
2. Best Performing PESO (Public Employment Service Office) in the Philippines under the Highly Urbanized City (HUC) Category; and
3. Recognized at the Southeast Asia Mobility Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as one of the Most Promising Cities for Public Transport and a Bicycle-Friendly City.
And one question leads to more questions:
Is it normal that some of the traffic lights in the City of Iloilo stop functioning at night? Or even during the day?
Is the City of Iloilo not capable of having functioning traffic lights 24/7?
Could this be a form of negligence or lack of sincerity? Of knowing that there is a problem but intentionally not solving it since there was no tragic accident yet that was caused by a non-functioning traffic light?
Do we go with the mentality that something only becomes a priority after it causes a tragedy?
Probable dangers of non-functional traffic lights (based on an article posted on https://www.zurichkotak.com/):
1. Increased chances of collision;
2. Chaotic streets;
3. Traffic build-up;
4. Risk for pedestrians; and
5. Risk for other motorists.
It is clear that functioning traffic lights are very crucial. They direct the right traffic flow and manage the movement of pedestrians, ensuring road safety for all. (https://www.zurichkotak.com/)
I still believe that, someday, as our city government gets recognized in the national and international stage, the Ilonggos themselves would also praise the city based on their personal experiences. And one of these is by driving or commuting safely on well-paved roads with functioning traffic lights.
Ang pinakanagakabagay nga pagdayaw amo ang nagahalin sa tagipusuon sang kada Ilonggo./PN
