Parking fees are not fair

By Noel Galon de Leon

Iloilo City is beginning to feel less like a home and more like a machine that extracts money from every step its people take. What used to be open and shared spaces are now turning into toll gates that punish the very people who keep the city alive.

Over the past months, I have noticed how even the simplest movement in public spaces comes with a price. From the downtown streets to mall parking areas, every stop demands payment that slowly eats into the already fragile income of ordinary workers.

This reality is not abstract, it is deeply personal and painfully real. For someone earning just enough to survive, these daily fees are not small inconveniences but heavy burdens that accumulate without mercy.

That is why I was not surprised when I came across a Facebook post from a call center agent addressing Raisa Treñas. The message was not just a complaint, it was a desperate appeal shaped by exhaustion and economic pressure.

The agent explained that call center workers are among the most hardworking members of the city, keeping businesses running day and night. Despite their critical role, they are now squeezed by rising fuel prices and expensive parking fees that feel unnecessary and unjust.

Many of these workers rely on motorcycles just to get to work on time. Instead of being supported, they are forced to pay additional costs simply to show up and do their jobs.

The appeal called for a temporary removal of motorcycle parking fees in properties owned by Megaworld and SM. It argued that during a time of inflation, the burden should not fall on workers who are already struggling to survive.

The agent raised a question that cuts straight to the core of the issue. If companies are already paying rent for these spaces, why are employees still being charged just to park and work?

The post made it clear that this issue goes beyond parking fees. It is about fairness, dignity, and the responsibility to protect the workforce that sustains the city’s economy.

I admired the courage behind that message, even if it came from someone who chose to remain anonymous. Still, I could not help but wish the writer had stepped forward fully, because their experience carries undeniable truth and urgency.

Their voice represents not just call center agents but countless Ilonggos who endure the same struggle every day. This is not a sectoral problem, it is a shared burden that reflects a deeper imbalance in our city.

What makes this situation more troubling is how normalized it has become. We have started accepting that every movement must be paid for, as if access to our own city is a privilege rather than a right.

Parking fees may seem like small amounts to those who impose them. But for workers who budget every peso, these fees are daily cuts that slowly drain their capacity to survive.

The city’s spaces are no longer just places of movement and connection. They are turning into controlled zones where profit is prioritized over people.

If the Mayor truly listens, then decisive action is necessary. This is not just about negotiating fees, it is about questioning why such practices exist in the first place.

Charging people to access essential spaces sends a dangerous message. It tells workers that their presence in the city is conditional upon their ability to pay.

A developing city should be building accessibility, not barriers. Growth should mean inclusion, not exclusion disguised as convenience.

Free public parking is not a luxury, it is a necessary support for a working population. It allows people to move freely, work efficiently, and participate fully in the city’s economic life.

When parking is free, it reduces the invisible costs of employment. It ensures that workers are not penalized simply for trying to earn a living.

More importantly, it fosters a sense of ownership and belonging among citizens. People feel that the city is theirs, not something they must constantly pay to access.

In contrast, excessive fees create resentment and alienation. They make the city feel hostile, especially to those who contribute the most but earn the least.

A humane urban policy recognizes that infrastructure should serve the public first. Profit should never come at the expense of basic mobility and dignity.

If Iloilo continues down this path, it risks becoming a city that values revenue more than its people. That is a dangerous transformation that can erode trust and civic pride.

Leadership must confront this issue with courage and clarity. Ignoring it will not make it disappear, it will only deepen the frustration of those already struggling.

Iloilo City must decide what it wants to become, a place that extracts from its people or a place that stands with them. Because in the end, a city that looks like money will eventually lose the very people who give it life.

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Noel Galon de Leon is a writer and professor at the University of the Philippines Visayas, where he teaches in the Division of Professional Education and at U.P. High School in Iloilo. He is also the secretary of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts – National Committee on Literary Arts.