‘Enforcement will end on-road parking in city’

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

The road clearing order of the national government officially ended on September 30, 2019 and Iloilo City managed to score an 83% accomplishment rating.

Part of the road clearing accomplishments is addressing on-road parking of vehicles in the city.

But Public Safety and Transportation Management (PSTMO) Jeck Conlu admitted in previous interviews that they cannot fully enforce the road clearing mandate because of certain ordinances that prohibit and allow parking in some areas of the metro.

Conlu was referring to an ordinance re-establishing parking areas for all vehicles in Iloilo City under Regulation Ordinance No. 2009-216

The ordinance designates certain areas in Iloilo City where on-road parking is allowed.

Conlu said that they already submitted a letter to the Sangguniang Panlungsod requesting for the repeal the ordinance.

But City Councilor Rommel Duron, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on transportation, questioned the repeal of the ordinance.

“Ano gid bala purpose gid bala, nga-a dula-on ta gid, tungod may obstruction? Ga-obstruct gid man sila?” he stressed.

Duron said repealing the ordinance without any recommendation can be “sweeping”.

As the number of vehicles plying the city increases, Duron emphasized that it is almost impossible to get rid of on-road parking.

“Kay ang siyudad gadamo man ang salakyan, indi mo na madula, ano purpose nga dulaon kay wala man gaperwisyo,” he said.

He said the problem can be solved through enforcement of the concerned agencies.

“Ang problema ta lang ya if ang ila parking not in accordance sa ordinansa teh dakpon nila eh, there is a corresponding penalty. It’s a matter of reinforcement,” he stressed.

Duron said they will have to study first the possible repeal of the ordinance by conducting a committee hearing to solicit opinions from stakeholders.

“We need to conduct study, gina-balance ta, kay ang ila ginareklamo obstruction so gina-balance ta kay once may ordinansa that’s not obstruction, its legal. During committee hearing, masolicit kita recommendation sang kada isa,” he said.

“Indi pwede nga i-repeal lang and wala recommendation. You have to make a recommendation first,” he stressed.

The possible date for the committee hearing has yet to be determined.