Chokepoints: Symptoms

Iloilo City’s 38 traffic chokepoints did not emerge overnight. They are symptoms of a deeper ailment: a fast-growing city whose mobility system has not kept pace with its expanding economy, rising population, and swelling car ownership.

The city’s traffic consultant logged a leap from 22 to 38 chokepoints in just a few years, with Jaro alone carrying 13 of them. This did not surprise urban planners who have long warned that road congestion grows exponentially when development outpaces infrastructure.

The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier reported that Iloilo City posted one of the fastest GRDP rebounds outside Metro Manila in 2023, driven by construction, real estate, and services. Vehicle sales also surged nationwide, according to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, which logged a 16 percent increase in 2023. More growth and more cars on roughly the same road space created today’s predictable gridlock.

We are facing some hard lessons. Metro Manila’s experience showed what happens when car-centric habits harden into policy: the Japan International Cooperation Agency estimated in 2018 that traffic in the capital cost PHP 3.5 billion a day in lost productivity, wasted fuel, and health impacts. Iloilo’s chokepoints, spread unevenly across districts, signal the early stages of this trajectory.

Jaro, home to universities, subdivisions, malls, and two major terminals, bears a disproportionate share of the burden. Every minute lost in its bottlenecks is a real economic loss for small entrepreneurs, employees, and delivery workers. Meanwhile, Arevalo’s three chokepoints reflect a quieter, less commercialized district – showing how congestion is not merely a mobility problem but a consequence of uneven urban growth.

The city’s current response focuses on re-routing, stakeholder engagement, and “traffic discipline zones.” These measures may offer short-term relief, but they cannot solve structural congestion. Global evidence is clear: no city has ever disciplined its way out of poor design.

The problem is systemic, not behavioral.

Urban mobility researchers stress that cities must invest in high-capacity public transport and active mobility to prevent spiraling congestion. A 2022 World Bank study found that improving public transport accessibility in Philippine cities could reduce commuting times by up to 25 percent and significantly cut household expenses on mobility. The Department of Transportation’s own National Transport Policy echoes this: road space should be allocated based on moving people, not vehicles.

 

Iloilo has the opportunity – and urgency – to align with these principles. The MIGEDC transport study under Swedfund is a promising start, but it must be matched by local policy muscle. Developers must shoulder real accountability through strict traffic impact assessments. Major projects must integrate walkability, bike access, and public transport connectivity from the outset, not as afterthoughts.

The city also needs to invest in a coherent public transport modernization plan, not merely hope for fewer private vehicles. Travel demand management, protected bike lanes, and safer pedestrian routes are not luxuries; they are cost-effective solutions used worldwide to reduce congestion and improve quality of life.

Iloilo is no longer a small city. Its growth is a sign of its success, but unmanaged growth risks undermining that success. The chokepoints are warning lights on a dashboard – all blinking at once.

The next moves will determine whether the city slides toward Metro Manila–style gridlock or becomes a national model for humane, future-ready mobility. The choice, and its consequences, are already unfolding on its crowded streets.