CREATING safer roads and more orderly public spaces has become one of the key priorities of the Iloilo City Government under Mayor Raisa Treñas' Rise-To-Action Framework, particularly its Rising Livability pillar, which aims to build communities that are safe, organized, and responsive to the needs of residents.
In her first year in office, the City Government strengthened traffic management and public safety through the Alagad sang Dalan program of the Transportation and Traffic Management Office (TTMO), and the Tawhay Public Spaces program of the Public Order and Safety Management Office (Posmo), both under the leadership of Retired Police Colonel Uldarico Garbanzos.
“Through continuous capability-building and rigorous enforcement, we are not just managing traffic and clearing obstructions, we also want to instill culture of discipline and mutual respect on our streets to ensure the safety of every Ilonggo. Luyag gid sang aton alkalde, nga safe kita sa dalanon kag madasig ang aton pagpauli sa aton tagsa ka panimalay,” Garbanzos said.
To improve the professionalism, competence, and public service values of traffic personnel, around 450 traffic enforcers underwent various capability-building trainings, with the highest number of participants recorded in August last year.
This initiative equips enforcers with the knowledge, discipline, and ethical standards needed to better manage traffic while fostering stronger public trust and cooperation.
Alongside continuous training, TTMO, through its Traffic Operations and Traffic Enforcement and Clearing Unit, intensified its enforcement efforts, conducting 491 traffic enforcement and road clearing operations and recording 23,521 traffic apprehensions during the one-year period.
Moreover, TTMO and the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator are working together to implement a traffic choke point development program aimed at reducing congestion and creating safer, more efficient road networks in identified high-traffic areas.
Complementing these efforts, the Tawhay Public Spaces program, through different enforcement teams composed of almost 400 personnel from Special Services Division (SSD) personnel, the Task Force on Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures (TFASIS), Green Guards, and police auxiliaries, reinforced public safety through sustained road clearing, inter-agency coordination, and community engagement.
The city’s Green Guards are in charge of maintaining the orderliness of the city’s plazas and open spaces, while the Police Auxiliaries secure the city’s vital structures and also complement street anti-crime operations and disaster response cluster operations.
During the one-year period, the City Government also carried out 471 road clearing operations side by side with TTMO and other offices, deployed 553 personnel to maintain peace and order during public activities, and conducted 77 community engagement activities, including programs in schools, to promote shared responsibility in keeping public spaces safe and accessible.
All these support the mayor’s vision of a more livable Iloilo City by ensuring that roads remain passable, public spaces stay orderly, and frontline personnel are equipped to provide efficient and people-centered services. (PR)