Last September 26, 2015, the Civil Engineering students of Central Philippine University

taking up Highway Engineering (CE4104) went on a road trip under the supervision of their

adviser, Engr. Gerardo Gepulango. The said trip covered the eastern part of Panay Island, which

includes several cities and municipalities in three provinces, namely, Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan.

The objectives of the trip are: to evaluate the present conditions of the highway system, to

observe the different modes of transportations in different places, and to suggest and bring up

recommendations for the observed problems and faulty conditions along the trip.

At 4:45AM PST, the group left Central Philippine University along with 1 minibus and 5

vans which carried at least 80 individuals. The convoy passed through the Iloilo Circumferential

Road (C-1 Road) towards the Municipality of Zarraga. The pavement was in good condition. It

was complete with guardrails, road signs and street lights. The pavement marking was also in

good condition. The only problem in that area was that the street lights weren’t used when it is

dark. Commuters have to rely only on their vehicle’s head light for vision. This can cause

accidents for there are certain parts of the roadway that are not visible when using only head

lights. It is recommended that street lights be utilized efficiently in these areas especially during

night time. Since the area is quite isolated from residential and commercial properties, proper

lighting is a big help in preventing not only accidents but also crime.

At around 5:00AM PST, the group started travelling along the highway of Zarraga,

Pototan, Dingle and Duenas. Parts of the range had guardrails while others do not. There are also

several road constructions, widening and repairing on-going in these areas. It is noticed that

although there are barriers and signs to inform commuters of men working ahead, standard

operating procedures for traffic work zones are not followed. For instance, the first warning sign

should have a decent distance from the work zone itself for worker and equipment protection in

case of an accident. Also, street lights and signs in some parts are covered with tree branches

making them less effective especially at night. Holes on the road were also found in some areas

of Pototan, and the pavement markings and signs were not maintained properly making it less

understandable for commuters especially those not familiar with the area. Some areas have 2

signs in the same place, one old, and the other new.

Arriving in Passi City at 5:45AM PST, it is noticed that most parts of the central business

district have on-going repair of the city roads. Thus, a detour was used but it did not have enough

information regarding the route to take towards other destinations. Also, an assistance desk

should be put up for first time commuters in the area. A short stopover was made in Passi City

Bus Terminal and it was noticed that it needed a facelift and renovation. Also, the terminal uses

angle parking scheme which reduces the time it takes to park a vehicle, creating less traffic. It is

recommended to put shoulders along the highway since many public utility vehicles utilize the

road. Shoulders can then be used as loading and unloading areas for buses or jeepneys, and also

as bays for emergency purposes.

At 6:25AM PST, the group stopped at Cuartero, Capiz for breakfast. The highway in this

place has very good sight distance, which is efficient and very useful. The road in that area was

very narrow and there were no pavement markings. This should be addressed to accommodate

bigger vehicles and to cater more volume as it is a national highway. Pavement markings should

also be placed to let the drivers know their position along a roadway. Also in some areas, the

obstructions such as houses were very close to the road itself. This is extremely dangerous both

for commuters and civilians. Some blind curves should have reflective signs to warn road users.

Some areas have signs when it is not really needed, while other critical areas which should have

signs do not.

At 7:00 AM PST, the road along Cuartero, Sigma, Dao and Mambusao in Capiz are

rough and mostly under construction. Holes were a constant sight along the way and it needed to

be fixed. Along the way, the road was a dirt road. Farther along the way, constructions are even

more. Again, proper traffic work zones system has not been applied. After the plaza in

Mambusao, the roads were rough and damaged with minimal holes in them. Considering the

number of vehicles passing through that area, it is very inconvenient and a hassle to pass by that

main road. In other areas, construction has not been finished and was left hanging. For instance,

a bridge was under construction and there were no traffic enforcers or any signs to channelize

and organize traffic flow. This caused a bit delay for commuters even in the early morning. In

some parts, obvious maintenance was needed for the road because cracks and unlevelled

pavement was evident. The bridges though, have proper markings and signs. Solid lines were

placed in the middle to indicate “No Overtaking” on bridges. Signs of the capacity of the bridge

were also found in almost every one. Some guardrails were dilapidated probably due to a

previous road accident. This should be repaired for it is important especially in reducing the

energy of a crash. There is one part of Brgy. Atiplo in Mambusao where the highway utilized

only one lane because the other was being replaced. It is noticed that traffic was building up at

the ends of the work area. It is also recommended to have shoulders along the roadway. The

drainage system in this area is also visibly broken. Fixing this is important.

After Capiz, the next province is Aklan. The first municipality is Altavas. The pavement

is smooth and concreted, although some areas utilize single lanes only due to construction. The

pavement markings and signs along blind curves are visible and are reflective. Majority of the

road along Altavas are zigzag roads, which means that it is very important to place markings and

signs in the right place to prevent accidents. Also, major concerns in the zigzag roads are the

guardrails. Most curves are blind and sharp ones, therefore, it is necessary to put guardrails to

prevent vehicles, especially but not limited to large ones, from overshooting the road and hitting

or falling from high cliffs.

The next municipalities were Batan and Balete. Some parts were also zigzag roads, and it

is noticeable that the consistency of the signs was decreasing especially in sharp and blind

curves. There were guardrails but very low ones. The pavements though, are in good condition

and are installed with curbs along edges. Noticeable in these towns are the work zones, because

they had early traffic warning devices and signs. Another fault is that, there were no street lights

in this area. At night commuters have to rely again on vehicle lights. This is prone to accidents

and crimes. There was mild traffic, as these are the towns approaching the bigger town of

Kalibo, the capital and main business center of Aklan.

As the group reached Kalibo at around 8:30AM PST, a noticeable change in the amount

of vehicles, mostly tricycles, motorcycles and private cars, was observed. Since Kalibo is a main

town for commerce in Aklan, it is obvious that pedestrian and vehicles share the streets.

Approaching the town proper, the highway was in good condition and it was wide at 4 lanes.

This can cater more vehicles at a given time. The main mode of transportation in Kalibo is the

tricycle. The land area of the town is small compared to other cities, so taxi cabs and jeepneys

are not used. Jeepneys are only for town-to-town use. The pavement in Kalibo is in good

condition and is well maintained. There are street lights and signs are everywhere. One problem

though is that the roads are very narrow, two lanes per direction at most in the town proper. It is

a good thing that signs were placed along arterial highways that prohibits parking at any time.

With this, traffic can be reduced by a little. Median strips were also It is observed that even at

9AM, the road was quite congested already. This is due to the high density of pedestrians in the

town proper. It is also noticed that there are a lot of construction on-going. This is a sign that the

town is becoming more competitive in the economic scene. It is noticed that in Kalibo, special

areas of interests such as malls and other large commercial establishments have heavy traffic in

its vicinity. This is due to the fluctuation of people and vehicle arriving in the area, adding the

fact that it was a weekend. Since motorcycles are the major mode of transport, the roadways are

not organized because motorcycles keep on cutting through traffic. Contrary to popular belief,

motorcycles cutting through lanes are the major contributors of traffic jams and on road

accidents.

At 10:25AM, the group left Kalibo and was on the way to the Roxas City. Along the trip,

one of the municipalities passed by was Ivisan. The highway in here is a two-lane two-way road.

The condition of the concrete was good with decent markings, although there are some point

where the obstructions are too close to the right-of-way, so vehicles have to move across the lane

to give space and avoid collision.

While traveling the road towards Roxas City, an unexpected mishap occurred as the

minibus carrying the female students overheated and was forced to stop in Sapian. The rest were

told to go to Robinson’s Place Roxas City and wait for further instructions as additional vans

were rented to cater the female students. The rest of the class arrived in Roxas City at around

11:50AM and it was noticeable that along the main arterial highway towards Robinsons, there

was a severe traffic jam towards the direction of the downtown area. This is caused by the large

amount of vehicles and given the fact that is was rush hour. The road in Roxas seems to be well

maintained and signs were a constant view along the road. The concrete pavement was in good

condition and seems to be new.

At 4:00PM, the class was on their way back to Iloilo City. The road along the way was in

good condition. There were shoulders in some areas. The only thing that bothered everyone as

they passed by through the mountainous areas was that there were no street lights. Also, several

blind and sharp curves were noticed to have no reflector signs to ward danger ahead. Vehicles

only relied on the natural light from them moon and also from their head lights. This is very

dangerous as these areas are very remote and it is the route taken by many busses heading

towards Northern Iloilo.

After the 16 hour road trip, observation, evaluation and assessment of the highways along

the numerous municipalities and cities in the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan, numerous

problems and inefficient highway engineering have been noticed. The highway system in these

three provinces has yet to achieve so much to attain perfection in its slate. What lacks in the

whole length of highway is consistency. Some areas have proper pavement markings, while

others don’t. Some areas have properly installed roadside signs while others, especially when it

is needed the most do not. Some areas have street lights, mostly in commercial and town centers,

while other areas do not. Some roads have shoulders and others don’t. Same is true with

guardrails, some areas that do not need guardrails have them, while some that need it the most,

especially in steep roadside cliffs, do not have it. It is noticed that in areas with more population

and commercial establishments, the highway system and management, which includes

maintenance and rehabilitation, is better compared to areas with less population and are isolated

or far from civilization. This maybe the effect of poor governance and funding, as areas with

more voters tend to have more government projects compared to those areas near agricultural

lands and where people are very little. These problems should be addressed and put in high

priority as highways are vital not only in travel but also in trade. A good highway network

system reflects good governance and funding. The earlier these problems along roads are fixed,

the more accidents will be avoided, thus resulting to less damage in property and casualties

among civilians.

Zarraga to Passi

In this picture, the trees were inside the right-of-way and it defeats the purpose of the

guardrails installed.

This picture shows a dirt road which is very hard to

use, added the fact that it is wet and muddy. Concrete

pavements should be put in this area.

The picture shows a bridge where

the concrete pavement is rough and there

is no pavement marking dividing the

lanes.

The picture shows a road with a very high slope. Drivers cannot see on

the other end. Warning signs should be put in these areas.

This picture shows

a curve without signs to

warn commuters. It is very dangerous especially at night. Also this

area have little to no streetlights.

This picture shows a blind curve having

signs. But the pavement markings should include a

solid line because overtaking is not allowed in blind

curves.

This photo shows a road under repair.

Proper traffic work zone standards have not been

followed.

This photo shows a highway utilizing a

single lane only due to construction. The traffic sign

was not used well for it was facing the wrong

direction.

This was taken in Passi City. The major road

entering the city was under rehabilitation to be converted

to 4 lane highways. Not enough signs indicating alternative

routes were placed in the area.

Cuartero, Dao, Dumarao, Mambusao

The shoulder under construction in the left

part should have delineators separating

construction from the usable roadways.

This road is confusing because it is not sure whether it is a

three-lane with reversible lane, or a two-lane road because of lack

of pavement marking dividing the lanes.

This road is very narrow making it dangerous for busses

like the one in the picture. Especially in high speeds, this road is

prone to accidents.

This road in Capiz

is a dirt road. This is very bad for the tires of

vehicles and it is very inconvenient to use

in rainy days.

This is a bridge in Capiz where the concrete

pavement is very badly maintained. Also, the sign

indicating capacity is covered by obstructions.

The road shown here is not on a level ground. It is dangerous for high speed vehicles like

busses and trucks. Warning signs should be placed in here.

Improper channelization is applied while using equipment

for construction.

This is a very

sharp curve road.

And while guardrails are installed, warning

signs with reflectors should be put also. It is

especially useful at night.

The part of the road under

construction was not given enough work

space. Not enough warning signs can lead to

accidents especially at night.

Kalibo

4 lane highway approaching Kalibo, showing that vehicles use the outer lanes as parking

lots.

Road in Kalibo showing that majority of

road users are tricycles and motorcycles. It is

the main mode of transportation in th

Traffic jam in Kalibo. This is due to the

number of vehicle volume passing through

only a 2 lane city street. Road widening is

recommended.

Traffic enforcer needed to control traffic in an intersection in Kalibo. Traffic lights will

be very helpful in this area.

Intersection in Kalibo where the pavement

have no markings. Recommended to put markings

as guide for drivers. Also, put traffic lights to

minimize traffic jams

\

Ivisan, Sapian, Roxas City

.

Although the road is four lane, only 2

lanes are utilized because the outer lanes are too

close to the roadside establishments.

This is a school zone but no signs to

reduce speed was placed anywhere in the

vicinity.

The pavement markings here are worn

already. Also, there are no street lights, which

makes this area accident prone at night.

This shows the heavy traffic on a four-

lane highway in Roxas City. The traffic is

towards the direction of the city. And it is rush

hour.