A Tale Of Two Cities: Bacolod & Iloilo's Ferry Terminals

Ever since I was a kid, I have been crossing the Iloilo Strait from Bacolod City to Iloilo City (in the Philippines) and back. My grandfather had his roots in the Iloilo Province and I have a lot of relatives in both Iloilo and Guimaras Provinces.

And every time I finished my voyage - from leaving the ferry terminal in Bacolod City (Negros Occidental), to riding the fast craft and then arriving at Iloilo City's (Iloilo Province) terminal, I could not help but compare the two. 

Just like when I travel home from South Korea to the Philippines, I have to fly from Incheon International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. And it was like flying out from the best airport in the world and landing at the worst!

So, to compare the ferry terminals of Bacolod City and Iloilo Anyways, let the photos I took tell the story: 

2GO's Bacolod Terminal:

  (Entrance to the waiting area for 2GO passengers)
Iloilo Terminal's ticket counters:

         (The spacious ticket counter areas 
                 for all ferry companies)

                      (Terminal fee counter)                            
                                               *   *   *

Bacolod terminal's passenger waiting area:

              (Crowded and not enough seats)

Iloilo's passenger waiting area:

                  (Airy, well lighted and clean)  

                                                *   *   *

Bacolod terminal's walkway to the ferry:

                 (Under a canopy with uneven flooring)

      (Along the walkway, there's this small alley 
          to the right with roosters and junk)

Iloilo Terminal's spacious walk to the ferry:

                                *   *   *

Arrival area at Bacolod terminal:

(Passengers arriving at the Bacolod terminal pass through this narrow alley with crumbling path)

     (Parking area for tricycles, jeepneys & other 
        vehicles on disintegrating concrete flooring)

Iloilo terminal's spacious arrival area:

        (Orderly path for arriving passengers with  
           queuing lines for taxis & jeepneys)

                               *   *   *

After all these years when I crossed to Iloilo to visit relatives, I have wondered why the Bacolod City and Negros Occidental governments never bothered to build a better terminal. We need a new one if we are to attract new investors, local tourists, and international guests.

Iloilo City has done it, why can't you?