NO PAY, NO ROAD: Iloilo’s Sunset Boulevard blocked

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A private landowner blocked the four-lane Iloilo Sunset Boulevard in Barangay Cagbang, Oton, on Sunday, May 31, over an unpaid right-of-way (ROW) acquisition by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Landowner Roel Amara closed both the inbound and outbound lanes, saying the government has yet to pay around PHP 28 million for about 4,700 square meters of his property being used for the road project.

“The DPWH is already using the property without just compensation,” he said in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo.

Amara said the DPWH first approached him in 2022 about plans to route Sunset Boulevard through his property.

Although the agency acknowledged that it lacked funds for the acquisition at the time, Amara said he allowed access to his land so construction could proceed on other sections of the project.

In January 2025, he said, then DPWH-6 Regional Director Sanny Boy Oropel again sought permission to begin work on the affected portion despite the absence of funding.

Amara said he agreed on the condition that the government would settle payment for the property by Dec. 31, 2025.

“I understand their situation. I also want the project to be finished, but I also need to protect my interest in that property because we all know that it takes time for the DPWH to pay. Since they said they do not have funds yet, I said We will execute an agreement that will allow you to construct on my property, and by December 31, 2025, you have to pay me already,” he explained.

In March 2026, Amara said he personally met with DPWH-6 Assistant Regional Director Ricardo Gutierrez, who, according to Amara, said funds were already available but could not give a definite timeline for the release of payment.

Amara then granted the agency an additional 60-day extension beginning March 3, 2026, but said he received no payment.

He also sent a demand letter to DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon on April 30 but said he received no response.

“I did not fail in contacting the DPWH. What is the status of the payment? They replied […] They said they are prioritizing the payment, but until now, there has been none,” he said.

Amara proceeded with the closure, saying he had exhausted all avenues for negotiation.

He said he had earlier informed DPWH-6, the Oton municipal government, and barangay officials in Cagbang of his intention to block the road if payment remained unsettled.

By 12:15 p.m., the Cagbang barangay government said one lane, from Iloilo City to Oton, had been reopened to motorists, allowing limited traffic flow as discussions continued.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, during an inspection of the project earlier this year, acknowledged that ROW acquisition remains a significant hurdle, noting that congressional appropriations for ROW payments have historically been insufficient.

Dizon, however, assured affected property owners that the agency is working to address the issue through increased allocations under the DPWH’s 2026 budget.

The Iloilo Sunset Boulevard, also known as the Iloilo River North Bank Road, is a 4.99-kilometer, four-lane thoroughfare running from Barangay Tabucan in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, to Barangay Cagbang in Oton.

Construction began in April 2022, and the road opened to the public on Jan. 24, 2025.

The DPWH placed the project’s cost at PHP 2.261 billion at its turnover to the city government.

The unpaid right-of-way has been flagged as the main obstacle to finishing the road.

Earlier this year, the DPWH set a third-quarter 2026 target for completing civil works, with Dizon citing unpaid ROW as a major challenge and committing to settle it.