A capital for whom?

You leave Carles while it is still dark, hoping to settle some paperwork at the Provincial Capitol. By the time you reach Iloilo City, you have already spent money on fares and breakfast. Then comes the surprise: wrong office. Another trip, another expense.

Now imagine being told that Iloilo might soon have a new provincial capital.

Your first question probably would not be whether Santa Barbara or Oton deserves the honor. More likely, it would be, “Mas lapit na bala? Mas barato? Matapos ko na bala ang akon transaksyon?”

That, to me, is where this interesting debate ought to begin.

Santa Barbara and Oton are making their cases for becoming Iloilo province’s official capital. Second District Rep. Kathryn Joyce Gorriceta has filed legislation supporting Santa Barbara, while Oton Vice Mayor Jose Neil Olivares is pursuing a municipal resolution asking that Oton also be considered.

Both have reasonable arguments. And I can understand why their residents would welcome the distinction. Having the provincial capital in your hometown brings pride, visibility, and possibly more business.

Oton can point to history. Long before Iloilo City became the center we know today, Oton served as an early seat of Spanish colonial administration. Recognizing that past would mean something to a town whose place in Panay’s history is sometimes overlooked.

Santa Barbara has history of its own. Its role in the 1898 revolution, particularly the raising of the Philippine flag and the establishment of a revolutionary government in the Visayas, is hardly a minor distinction. But its stronger argument today may be practical.

The province is already developing its Smart Green Government Center on a 6.3-hectare property in Santa Barbara. Construction has begun, with PHP 100 million allocated for initial building and access road works. The planned complex would bring government offices and services together.

That gives Santa Barbara a considerable advantage. It has proximity to the airport, major road connections, and an actual government development underway. If Iloilo is determined to transfer its capital, Santa Barbara currently looks like the more practical choice.

Still, I hesitate to equate a promising government complex with a better provincial capital.

An airport is convenient for officials and visitors who fly. But how many ordinary Ilonggos travel to the Capitol by airplane? For someone from San Dionisio, Estancia, San Joaquin, or Carles, the more pressing concerns may be bus connections, transfer points, fares, and the number of hours lost from work.

Passi City is worth considering, as are Pavia, Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Cabatuan, and Dumangas. But what looks central on Google Maps may feel far away to someone waiting for a bus.

Santa Barbara leads these contenders in the 2024 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) with a score of 35.36, followed by Pavia (34.59), Passi (34.30), Oton (31.78), and Dumangas (25.95). Still, a competitiveness score cannot tell us whether getting there is easy, affordable, or exhausting (DTI, 2024).

Then there is the matter of money.

The Santa Barbara government center is already moving forward, whether or not the town receives the capital designation. But completing a government complex, transferring offices, and formally changing a provincial capital are different undertakings, with potentially different costs.

The project also has human consequences. The provincial government reported that 71 households would be affected by the construction of an access road, with relocation arrangements being pursued. That deserves attention alongside the attractive architectural plans. Development is easier to celebrate when we are not among those being asked to move.

There is a legal complication, too. Act No. 113 of 1901 designated the town of Iloilo as the provincial capital. Iloilo City later became independent of the province, but the Provincial Capitol stayed. Changing the official capital may therefore require an act of Congress.

Yet perhaps the most interesting possibility is that Iloilo does not have to choose between doing nothing and transferring everything.

What if Santa Barbara becomes a major administrative center while Iloilo City retains certain provincial functions? What if northern and southern municipalities receive stronger satellite services? Better digital transactions might spare residents a journey altogether.

Of course, bringing services closer to people also takes money and planning. A satellite office without the authority to complete transactions merely adds another stop. A website that eventually tells applicants to appear personally at the Capitol is not much of a digital service.

Santa Barbara makes a strong case, and Oton’s history deserves respect. Other towns farther from Iloilo City are worth considering, too. But I doubt the prestige of being called a capital should decide everything.

I would rather see the actual travel times, fares, flood risks, relocation costs, and how many people would benefit. Perhaps some services could simply be brought closer to communities without moving the capital at all.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a beautiful provincial capital. Iloilo has every reason to take pride in its history and growing infrastructure.

But I keep returning to that imagined traveler from Carles, counting the fare home after a day of government transactions. Whether the next provincial capital stands in Santa Barbara, Oton, Passi, or remains in Iloilo City, that person’s journey is still the test.

A new address on government letterhead is easy enough to celebrate. A shorter line, one less trip, and a transaction finally completed? Now that would be worth celebrating.

Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions where he is employed or with which he is connected.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.