Parking shortage limits Iloilo City’s fleet oversight

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A shortage of parking spaces for government-owned vehicles has hampered the Iloilo City Government’s ability to fully monitor its fleet, prompting the General Services Office (GSO) to ease enforcement of policies requiring official vehicles to be parked in designated government facilities after office hours.

GSO head Neil Ravena said the city currently owns more than 300 government vehicles, but its existing parking areas can accommodate only about 150 units.

The city currently uses its motor pool on Delgado Street, the former Iloilo City District Engineering Office in Fort San Pedro, and a parking area on Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) property near Plaza Libertad.

It also uses the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand as a parking site, while vehicles assigned to the city’s ICARE Centers are parked at their respective facilities.

Because of the shortage of parking space, Ravena said many government offices are unable to return their vehicles to the city’s designated parking areas after office hours and instead park them elsewhere.

Asked whether the GSO is able to monitor the release and return of government vehicles, Ravena admitted the current setup makes full oversight difficult.

“That is one of the things we should be monitoring. However, because we do not have a garage that can accommodate all vehicles, we cannot manage them properly. Ideally, all government vehicles should be parked in the city’s official garage after office hours,” he said Tuesday.

Administrative Order No. 239, a national policy signed in 2008 by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, states that government motor vehicles shall be used strictly for official business and, after office hours or during weekends and holidays, kept in a garage designated or provided by the bureau or office to avoid unauthorized use.

Ravena acknowledged that the GSO has been forced to exercise some leniency in monitoring compliance with the policy because of the lack of a centralized garage.

“We have a motorpool, but it cannot even accommodate all the trucks. We are also using the GSIS property, but the heavy volume of vehicles causes congestion at the entrance and exit,” he said.

Despite the parking shortage, Ravena stressed that government-issued vehicles may not be taken home.

To address the problem, Ravena said he has proposed to Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu the construction of a centralized garage that can accommodate the entire fleet.

“We proposed to the mayor that the city should have a garage capable of accommodating all government vehicles so we can properly manage them. The GSO wants to provide a proper garage and implement an effective fleet management system for all city government vehicles,” he said.

According to Ravena, a centralized fleet management system would allow the city to monitor the issuance of trip tickets, vehicle movements, and fuel consumption more efficiently.

He added that the GSO has already developed a digital fleet management system but cannot fully implement it until a centralized garage becomes available.

Ravena said the multi-level parking building being constructed beside Iloilo City Hall on the former Development Bank of the Philippines lot along Bonifacio Drive would help address the city’s parking shortage.

The six-story facility began construction in December 2024 and is expected to provide parking for 196 cars and 177 motorcycles once completed.