ILOILO CITY – The strengthening of peace and order is bringing positive changes to a once notorious barangay in this city.
BARANGAY Captain James Conlu of Barrio Obrero in Iloilo City at the closed circuit-television camera monitoring room. (Tara Yap)
“When there is peace and order, there is development,” said Barangay Captain James Conlu of Barrio Obrero, a barangay once feared by Ilonggos for decades as a refuge of holdup men and other criminals.
While Conlu only became barangay captain late in 2023, it was under his helm when Barrio Obrero signed a 50-year usufruct agreement with the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) for its old barangay hall as the location of Police Station 8.
For Conlu, this initiative not only benefits the more than 20,000 residents of Barrio Obrero.
The ICPO-Police Station 8 that opened last July is serving more than 30,300 residents of 12 barangays in Lapuz District as well as those going in and out of key infrastructures, including the nearby Iloilo International Port, the ferry terminals, and the power barge.
Conlu’s administration was able to install more than 50 closed-circuit television cameras in Barrio Obrero in partnership with Wi-Solutions Electronics and Telecommunications.
The CCTVs not only help in preventing or solving crimes but also gives barangay officials and tanods (watchmen) faster response time in disaster or emergencies.
One of Conlu’s priorities this year is having another exit point for the barangay. The narrow roads of Barrio Obrero have been a recurring challenge for fire trucks.
The barangay is at risk for fire incidents, especially with three major gasoline depots located in its neighboring areas while more than half of the 20,000 residents are informal settlers living in houses made mostly of light materials.
Meanwhile, Barrio Obrero is open to hosting more sports games. Last year, it hosted several youth sports games at its gym both from various organizers in Iloilo City and even from Iloilo province.
For Conlu, these developments and the influx of people can help small businesses of the barangay, including carinderias and “sari-sari” stores.