By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo City government broke ground on Dec. 27, 2024, for a six-story parking building designed to ease vehicular congestion around the city hall area.
The event was attended by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, and officials from the city government and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
The 2,000-square-meter building will be constructed beside the city hall, replacing the current DBP Iloilo City office site.
The ground floor will feature administrative and operational offices. The second to fifth floors will provide parking spaces for 196 mid-sized vehicles and 177 motorcycles, while the sixth floor will house storage areas and function halls.
The building will be connected to the main city hall and the upcoming legislative building via bridges.
It will operate as a pay parking facility open to the public daily, with discounted rates for city government employees with vehicle stickers. Overnight parking will be prohibited.
The project aims to clear vehicles currently parked around Plaza Libertad, the city hall premises, and the freedom grandstand, which now serve as informal parking areas for city hall visitors and employees.
“Today marks a significant step forward as we officially break ground for Iloilo City Hall’s parking building,” Mayor Treñas stated in a Facebook post.
“This project addresses the pressing need for additional parking spaces while helping ease congestion around City Hall. We are committed to fast-tracking its construction to better serve our fellow Ilonggos, government employees, and everyone doing business with the City Hall,” he added.
The project, valued at PHP 210 million, is funded by a PHP 1.75-billion loan package secured from DBP in 2020. The same loan has also been allocated for the ongoing rehabilitation of public markets.
The parking building will be constructed by a joint venture between Iloilo City-based contractors F. Gurrea Construction Inc. and Edson & Co., Inc.
