Pay parking pushed for Iloilo City’s biggest markets

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City Government is moving to implement a pay parking system in the rooftop parking areas of the privately redeveloped Iloilo Central (Tienda Mayor) and Terminal (Super) markets.

On Tuesday, March 3, the City Council approved on first reading an ordinance proposed by Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu without objection from council members.

Certified as urgent by Treñas-Chu, the measure was referred to the committees on Ways and Means and Markets and Slaughterhouses.

The mayor said collecting the proposed parking fees is “necessary for the maintenance and operation expenses” of the rooftop parking spaces.

Both markets were redeveloped by SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) through a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Iloilo City government.

The PHP 3 billion project broke ground in 2023 and opened to the public in October 2025 as part of the city’s effort to modernize its two largest public markets.

Under the lease agreement obtained by the Daily Guardian from the city government’s website, the developments explicitly include parking areas.

While the lease mandates the operation, maintenance, and management of the commercial development by SM Prime Holdings Inc., it does not specifically reference “pay parking” or a fee structure.

Under the proposed ordinance, Treñas-Chu said the Contract Management Committee established under the PPP agreement agreed that the rooftop parking spaces will be managed by SM Prime Holdings Inc., with revenue shared 50–50 with the city after administrative expenses.

The ordinance follows the City Council’s October 2025 decision to reject a proposed two-way traffic scheme around the redeveloped markets.

A Traffic Impact Assessment conducted by SM Prime Holdings Inc. and the city government’s Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator concluded that a two-way flow could create bottlenecks, operational conflicts, and safety risks.

Currently, a one-way, two-lane traffic system operates along De Leon, Fuentes, Mabini, and Rizal streets around the Terminal Market.

Guanco Street beside the Central Market remains two-way to accommodate vendors, delivery trucks, and public utility vehicles.

The Traffic and Transport Management Office (TTMO) earlier proposed a two-way traffic system for both markets to ease access for delivery trucks and marketgoers.

However, the committee raised concerns about limited road space, turning radius issues, and enforcement difficulties if the scheme were implemented.

During consultations, market vendors and nearby business owners opposed the two-way setup, citing potential delivery disruptions, loss of parking, and safety risks for pedestrians.

Alongside its proposal for a two-way traffic scheme, the TTMO also proposed declaring the roads around the two major markets as a traffic discipline zone.

“Since the market has its own parking area within the building, we will declare the whole area as a no-parking zone,” TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos said in an October 2025 interview.

“There are roadside parking slots in some establishments, but once the discipline zone is implemented, parking along the road will no longer be allowed.”