Solving the parking problem

By Herbert Vego

Solving the parking problem

FREE vehicular parking for market consumers at the rooftops of the renovated Iloilo City Central Market and the Terminal Market?

Yes, but please limit it to two hours to give other marketgoers the chance to avail themselves of the same privilege.

This is a program that the Iloilo City government wants implemented as the answer to motorists complaining of inability to patronize the aforesaid public markets due to “full parking.”

Two hours is more than enough for a housewife or housemaid to buy everything on her shopping list. In the event, however, that she needs more time, she may do so by paying a parking fee for the excess time.

She may need more time to enjoy the wider walkways, enhanced lighting and ventilation, or simply walk through to familiarize herself with what’s new in the renovated markets.

You see, while each market has generous free parking space for more than 300 vehicles, thousands of individuals come to the two public markets daily. It is only proper and fitting that nonshoppers give way to them.

I know because I am a motorist. There are times when I overextend parking in order to do business with establishments outside the market. I would be willing to pay for the privilege rather than be “clamped” and fined for illegal parking on the street.

Indeed, the measure is aimed at accommodating everybody with legitimate transactions in the markets and nearby establishments.

To quote Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chiu, “This is about responsibility, safety, and fairness for everyone. Parking areas are meant for active users of the market and mall, not for vehicle storage.”

City Hall’s response to the parking problem is appropriate. It is a fact that some office workers park there the whole day, thus depriving others of parking privilege.

Anyway, the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) has made it clear that legitimate shoppers who exceed two hours will only have to pay a moderate parking fee.

There is a law, Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code, that authorizes local government units (LGUs) to find extra sources of revenue, including fees for parking areas.

These fees are intended to regulate the use of space, ensure fair access for customers and vendors, and manage traffic, rather than just generate income.

For a parking fee to be legal, however, it must not be excessive or confiscatory; it must be passed through a municipal or city ordinance.

As I write this, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has yet to craft a policy aimed at protecting the interests of vendors, customers and the general public.

Based on data from the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO), the Iloilo Terminal Market logged more than 2 million visitors from November 2025 to February 2026, with 350,648 in November, rising significantly to 597,098 in December, 610,736 in January 2026, and 583,716 in February 2026.

The Central Market recorded 799,970 visitors during the same period, rising from 107,460 in November 2025 to 192,863 in December, 216,573 in January 2026, and 283,074 in February 2026.

The market boom stems from public response to upgraded facilities, improved sanitation systems, and a reorganized layout designed to create a more efficient and customer-friendly environment.

While “park at your own risk” signs are still common, there are ongoing legislative efforts in the Philippines, such as proposed House Bill 5671 and various Senate bills, to prohibit such waivers and make operators of paid parking facilities — including those in public markets — accountable for loss of or damage to vehicles.

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FIRE PREVENTION IS ALSO MORE POWER’S CONCERN

KUDOS to Angel Tan, the spokesperson for MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), for her choice of guests on her radio show “MORE Power at Your Service,” which is posted on the company’s Facebook page.

To highlight this month of March as Fire Prevention Month, for instance, she had three resource persons as guests: Priam Roy Rivera, safety officer of MORE Power; Denmark Macoco, chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Iloilo City; and Robert Acelar, public information officer of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Region 6.

As safety officer of MORE Power, Rivera assured electricity consumers about the tasks he does to keep linemen updated on survival techniques through emergency drills, fire drills, first-aid procedures, and proper use of firefighting equipment.

BFP-Iloilo’s Denmark Macoco stressed that “we don’t celebrate Fire Prevention Month. It’s for fire awareness of fires likely to happen in March, being the beginning of the dry season.” He said that the majority of fires in the city are electrical in nature.

“In the previous year, 2025,” he said, “out of 201 fire accidents, 146 or 72 percent were electrical in nature.”

Acelar said it could be due to outdated wiring that overheats and triggers fire in combustible materials.

He warned against unattended electrical appliances that are likely to trigger fire, and against overloading power through “octopus connection,” which refers to a dangerous electrical hazard where multiple extension cords, adapters or power strips are plugged into a single wall outlet, resembling an octopus with many tentacles.