Last updated: September 2026
Getting around Iloilo City in 2026 means juggling three overlapping systems: a 25-route jeepney network that a national fare freeze has kept cheap, a ride-hailing scene that just gained its first homegrown app, and a public transport overhaul — a bus rapid transit system — that is still on the drawing board. This guide walks through what changed since 2025, what stayed the same, and exactly what you’ll pay, wherever your trip takes you.
Iloilo City enters 2026 under new local leadership and a national cost-of-living squeeze that has, paradoxically, kept public transport fares frozen. Raisa Treñas, daughter of long-time mayor Jerry Treñas, took office in June 2025 as the city’s first elected woman mayor, and her administration has inherited an ambitious slate of transportation projects: a jeepney network still being fine-tuned, a bus rapid transit study nearing completion, and an airport modernization push that finally has government backing after a private proposal fell through.
The single biggest storyline of the year is what didn’t happen. In March 2026, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved a fare increase to ₱14 for traditional jeepneys and ₱17 for modernized units — and then, a day before it was due to take effect, President Marcos ordered it suspended indefinitely amid a global oil price spike tied to the conflict in the Middle East. As of August 2026, the Department of Transportation confirmed the suspension still stands, so the fare you’ll actually pay in Iloilo City today is the pre-2026 rate.
On the ride-hailing side, the market has genuinely diversified. Grab remains the dominant TNVS (Transport Network Vehicle Service) operator, UTOL — an all-Filipino ride-hailing network that arrived in 2024 — has stuck around, and Iloilo produced its own contender in 2026: Xicar, a taxi-booking app built by local taxi operators. Meanwhile, a much-hyped plan to bring 1,000 electric taxis to the city was rejected outright by regulators, a reminder that not every 2025 headline about Iloilo’s transport future actually arrived.
Grab does not publish a fixed fare table for Iloilo — or anywhere else — and says on its own site that the app simply computes the fare per trip, with rush-hour pricing running 1.5 to 2 times the standard rate. Treat any peso figure you see for Grab, including the airport estimates further down this guide, as a snapshot rather than a tariff: open the app and check before you commit.
UTOL entered Iloilo on the back of an LTFRB Board Resolution that opened 1,600 TNVS slots across Western Visayas, positioning itself as a homegrown, lower-cost alternative to Grab. It has since expanded to Bohol and Cebu, and continues to sponsor community events in Iloilo (including a branded fun run in late 2025), which suggests a durable local presence rather than a one-year novelty.
The most significant new entrant since the 2025 edition of this guide is Xicar, a ride-hailing platform built specifically for taxis by two young Iloilo-based taxi operators, Kaitlene Rivilla and Ken Motomitsu. Development began in early 2025, and the app formally launched on May 4, 2026, with roughly 200 taxi units already on board at launch.
Xicar was built to solve problems Ilonggo commuters already complained about: drivers skipping the meter, “pangkontrata” price haggling, and colorum (unregistered) vehicles. For visitors, the practical upshot is a second reliable option beyond Grab for point-to-point taxi trips, with a founder team that has explicitly staked its reputation on not surge-pricing riders.
Light of Glory Transport Services Inc.
Several other established operators are listed in the Iloilo Business Directory, concentrated around Jaro and Villa Anita, offering transfers to nearby provinces such as Antique and Guimaras. As with any Iloilo taxi, insist on the meter: LTFRB Region 6 has repeatedly stated that a fixed, unmetered fare is improper, and even issued a show-cause order to one operator in January 2025 over an unmetered flat airport rate.
The 2025 edition of this guide called electric taxis “Breaking News.” A year on, the picture is more mixed. Quarry Taxi, the region’s pioneer operator, brought in its first electric vehicles in 2025 and has been working through LTFRB’s Certificate of Public Convenience process under Memorandum Circular 2024-007 — a five-unit pilot with three more planned, but still moving through permitting rather than running at commercial scale.
A far larger proposal did not survive contact with regulators. Green and Smart Mobility Philippines Inc. (Green GSM) petitioned LTFRB in late 2025 to deploy 1,000 electric taxis in Iloilo City, pairing the fleet with new charging infrastructure. In 2026, LTFRB Region 6 and Iloilo City Hall rejected the franchise request outright, citing an existing three-year moratorium on new taxi units and a lack of prior consultation with the local government. LTFRB’s regional office says it has already committed to current operators that no additional taxi units will be approved for three years — so the near-term path to going electric runs through converting existing fleets, not adding new ones. Some local operators are reportedly exploring exactly that.
The traditional jeepney minimum fare is ₱13 for the first four kilometers, then ₱1.80 for every kilometer after that. Modernized units charge ₱15 for the same first four kilometers, then ₱2.20 per succeeding kilometer. There is no separate Western Visayas rate — LTFRB Region 6 has stated on the record that national fare orders apply uniformly across the country, so the Iloilo City figure is simply the national figure.
| Traditional Jeepney | Modernized Jeepney | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum fare (first 4 km) | ₱13 | ₱15 |
| Each succeeding kilometer | ₱1.80 | ₱2.20 |
| Approved 17 Mar 2026, suspended before taking effect | ₱14 | ₱17 |
| Student / senior citizen / PWD discount | 20% (statutory) | 20% (statutory) |
| Fleet size (dominant Iloilo City cooperative, Mar 2026) | 1,700+ units | 95 units |
The practical takeaway for commuters and visitors: if a driver asks for ₱14, that is technically an unauthorized fare. Every jeepney is required to carry a plate-specific fare matrix (which operators buy from LTFRB Region 6 for ₱550–570) — without one, only the existing published rate applies.
Three national laws stack independently and apply to jeepneys, tricycles, and buses alike: Republic Act 9994 grants senior citizens 20% off plus VAT exemption; Republic Act 10754 grants the same 20% to persons with disability; and Republic Act 11314, the Student Fare Discount Act, grants students 20% off on presentation of a school ID or enrollment form — valid for the full enrollment period, including weekends and holidays, not just school days.
Iloilo City’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (adopted into city law as Regulation Ordinance No. 2022-027 and numbered by LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2023-036) runs 25 routes: 17 rationalized routes carried over and consolidated from the old system, seven newer developmental routes, and one enhanced route reviving a pre-2022 line. Here is the complete list — useful whether you’re trying to identify a jeepney by its route number or just want to know which one gets you where.
| Route # | Route Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Barrio Obrero – Lapuz to City Proper Loop |
| 2 | Villa Plaza to City Proper via Calumpang |
| 3 | Ungka to City Proper via CPU (Central Philippine University) |
| 4 | Ungka to City Proper via B. Aquino Ave. / Festive Walk |
| 5 | Festive Walk Transport Hub to City Proper via SM City |
| 6 | Lanit to Infante via SM City |
| 7 | Compania to City Proper Loop |
| 8 | Parola to SM City via Infante Loop |
| 9 | Mohon to City Proper |
| 10 | Buntatala / Tagbak to City Proper |
| 11 | Ticud, La Paz to City Proper |
| 12 | Mandurriao to City Proper via Festive Walk / B. Aquino Ave. |
| 13 | Hibao-an to City Proper via Tabucan |
| 14 | Hibao-an to Jaro via Festive Walk / B. Aquino Ave. |
| 15 | Molo to City Proper via Baluarte Loop |
| 16 | Bito-on to Jaro via Balabago Loop |
| 17 | Villa Baybay to City Proper |
| 18 | Buntatala / Tagbak to City Proper via Lapuz |
| 19 | Bito-on to City Proper via La Paz |
| 20 | Mohon to ISATU via Sooc / Festive Walk |
| 21 | Buntatala / Tagbak to Festive Walk via SM City / Atria |
| 22 | Ungka to La Paz via CPU / ISATU Loop |
| 23 | Mohon to Mandurriao Business District |
| 24 | La Paz to Festive Walk via Nabitasan Loop |
| 25 | Molo to City Proper via Gen. Luna (“Baluarte Derecho”) |
Fleet modernization has moved more slowly than the original 2023 target of 1,767 modernized units. As of March 2026, the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative — the dominant operator on the city’s rationalized routes — ran 95 modernized jeepneys against more than 1,700 traditional units: 30 each based at the Tagbak and Mohon terminals, 20 on the Jaro-to-CPU route, and 15 on the Ungka-to-Diversion Road route. In practice, this means the “modernization premium” you’ll actually pay is exactly ₱2 at the minimum fare, and most rides in Iloilo City are still aboard a traditional jeepney rather than an air-conditioned modern unit.
Tricycles are the workhorse of short, neighborhood-level trips — barangay interiors, market runs, and connections to the nearest jeepney or highway. Unlike jeepneys, tricycle fares are set by Iloilo City ordinance rather than by LTFRB.
| Trip Type | Fare |
|---|---|
| First 2 kilometers (shared ride) | ₱15 |
| Each succeeding kilometer | ₱1 |
| Whole-unit hire, one way, 2 passengers | ₱25 |
| Solo rider, first 2 kilometers | ₱50 minimum |
A proposed fare hike — to ₱20 once pump prices cross ₱80 a liter — passed first reading at the City Council on March 18, 2026, but the city government put it on hold to prioritize rolling out fuel subsidies (₱500 a month per driver) instead. A first reading isn’t law, so as of this writing the 2022 fare matrix above still applies. App-based motorcycle taxis, for context, remain illegal in Iloilo: the national LTFRB pilot for that service covers only Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.
Iloilo International Airport isn’t technically in Iloilo City — it sits across four barangays of Cabatuan, a separate municipality roughly 24 kilometers away, with the most commonly cited point-to-point distance (17 km) measured from Zuri Hotel in Mandurriao. Budget 40–45 minutes for the drive: the Ungka flyover that was meant to cut travel time has been closed since it partially sank, and the replacement Aganan flyover is still unfinished.
A ₱190-million, nationally funded rehabilitation of the Passenger Terminal Building targeted completion by mid-2026. The scope covered architectural work (roofing, tiling, ceilings, waterproofing, doors and windows), mechanical and electrical upgrades including new air-conditioning and three new chillers, and two new escalators built where the old airline ticketing counters used to sit. The payoff is capacity: the pre-departure area’s rated capacity rises from 727 passengers (367 domestic, 360 international) to 1,082 (675 domestic, 407 international).
On the bigger question — a full modernization — 2026 brought a reset rather than a resolution. Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (part of the Villar Group), which had an unsolicited proposal to operate and maintain the airport moving through negotiations, saw that proposal collapse. The government is now leaning toward a solicited public-private partnership instead, explicitly modeled on the successful NAIA and MCIA (Mactan-Cebu) concessions, according to the PPP Center’s remarks at Iloilo’s Infrastructure Forum in July 2026. The Department of Transportation still calls the project “a priority” and “long overdue,” but no new operator or timeline has been named.
There is no regulated flat fare to or from the airport — and that gap produces a wide spread in what you’ll actually pay. Treat the figures below as indicative rather than fixed; Grab in particular is dynamically priced and can run higher during rush hour.
| Option | Approx. Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shared shuttle van (from SM City Iloilo) | ₱100 / person | Departs only when full — arrive at least 3 hours before your flight |
| GrabCar, 4-seater (off-peak) | ₱450–500 | Dynamic pricing; rush hour runs 1.5–2x higher |
| GrabCar, 6-seater (off-peak) | ₱600–700 | Dynamic pricing |
| Taxi, negotiated flat rate | ~₱600 | Not an official tariff — insist on the meter where possible |
| Budget: jeepney + multicab via Sta. Barbara | ~₱26 total | Slower and requires a transfer; multicabs wait until full |
Travelers with mobility needs can request assistance through JODOGO’s airport service for wheelchair users and other special-needs passengers; ask your airline or the terminal information desk to arrange this ahead of arrival.
The Iloilo Strait crossing to Guimaras is short — 15 to 20 minutes — but two of the country’s five busiest passenger ports (Iloilo’s Parola/Ortiz side and Jordan on Guimaras) sit on opposite banks of it, moving a combined 10 million-plus passengers a year. As of March 24, 2026, the passenger fare rose from ₱30 to ₱40 in daytime, with a discounted ₱32 rate for students, senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women. From 8 p.m. onward, fares rise further, to ₱50 regular and ₱40 discounted.
| Fare Type | Daytime | From 8 p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| Regular passenger | ₱40 | ₱50 |
| Student / senior / PWD / pregnant | ₱32 | ₱40 |
MARINA rolled out a tap-and-go electronic manifest system across Parola, Jordan, and Buenavista in early 2026, replacing paper ticketing. What hasn’t been modernized is the published schedule: the only officially confirmed first and last trips (5:20 a.m. and 9 p.m. from Jordan) date back to a February 2023 MARINA order, with no newer timetable available as of this writing — budget extra buffer time rather than relying on a fixed headway.
Philippine Coast Guard Memorandum Circular 02-13 names the Iloilo Strait individually as a “Special Area” and allows short crossings like this one to keep sailing even under Storm Signal No. 1 — but only if nine conditions hold at once, including wind under 30 kph, light rain, and both shores visible to the naked eye. In practice, visibility is usually what stops the boats first: a March 2026 suspension, for instance, was called purely for zero visibility under a low-pressure trough, with no storm signal in effect at all. If you’re planning a Guimaras day trip around bad weather, build in a flexible return time.
The Iloilo–Bacolod ferry route, reachable via city jeepneys to the Iloilo-Bacolod Ferry Terminal, remains a common alternative to flying for travelers heading to Negros Occidental.
Iloilo City has been talking about a BRT system since 2024, and 2026 is the year the plans got more concrete — without yet becoming a system you can ride. Two efforts are running in parallel:
Mayor Treñas has said she’s ready to revisit the city’s route plan once the study lands, with a specific goal of assigning modernized buses from all Metro Iloilo towns to designated routes rather than letting them compete on the same major roads. Until either project breaks ground, treat BRT as a 2027-or-later story rather than something to plan a 2026 trip around.
Iloilo City picked up real money for active mobility in 2026: a ₱74-million Department of Transportation package for bike lanes and mobility hubs broke ground in May 2026, making Iloilo the second city in the country (after Marikina) to receive this kind of funding, on a roughly nine-month build timeline. That sits alongside two existing local ordinances — a ₱2,000 fine for driving in the bike lane on Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road), and a requirement that new buildings with parking also provide bicycle parking.
The catch: more infrastructure spending hasn’t yet meant more cyclists. The city’s 2025 Bilang Siklista count recorded 4,716 cyclists across 11 locations — down a third from 2024. If you’re weighing a bike as a way to get around Iloilo City in 2026, the lanes are improving, but the counted ridership says most Ilonggos haven’t switched over yet.
Beyond the taxi story above, the Department of Science and Technology confirmed in March 2026 that battery-electric tricycles (e-trikes) are already operating in Iloilo as part of a national e-mobility push, alongside a longer-running e-jeepney pilot that first tested electric units on the Tagbak-to-City-Proper route back in 2023. Electrification is real but still small-scale — don’t expect it to be your default option yet.
City Proper (Heritage District): Walking plus the occasional jeepney or taxi is enough. Key sites: Jaro Cathedral, Molo Church, Calle Real. Best routes: Route 3 (Ungka to City Proper via CPU) and Route 5 (Festive Walk to City Proper via SM City).
Business District (Mandurriao): Grab, UTOL, or Xicar for convenience. Key sites: SM City Iloilo, Megaworld Business Park, Festive Walk. Best routes: Route 5 (Festive Walk area) and Route 4 (B. Aquino Avenue).
University Belt: Jeepneys are the easiest option. Key sites: University of the Philippines Visayas, Central Philippine University. Best routes: Route 3 (CPU) and Route 11 (Ticud, La Paz).
| Budget Tier | Range | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra budget | ₱10–₱30 | Jeepney within the city, short tricycle rides |
| Budget-friendly | ₱50–₱150 | Modernized jeepney over distance, airport shuttle van, short taxi trips |
| Mid-range | ₱200–₱500 | Grab/Xicar within the city, tourist-oriented taxi bookings |
| Premium | ₱500+ | Airport Grab transfers, private car hire with driver |
| Service | Contact |
|---|---|
| Police | 117 |
| Fire | 116 |
| Medical emergency | 911 |
| UTOL customer service | 0966 861 0750 / 0908 540 9409 |
| Light of Glory Taxi | 330-1514 / 320-3500 |
| Grab customer support | In-app |
| Xicar customer support | In-app, 24/7 per the developer |
How much is the jeepney fare in Iloilo City in 2026?
₱13 for the first four kilometers on a traditional jeepney, then ₱1.80 per succeeding kilometer. Modernized units charge ₱15 for the same distance, then ₱2.20 per kilometer. A higher fare (₱14/₱17) was approved in March 2026 but suspended by the President before it took effect, so the older rate remains in force.
Is the Iloilo jeepney fare ₱13 or ₱14?
It’s ₱13. LTFRB approved a rise to ₱14 on March 17, 2026, but the increase was suspended the following day, before it ever took effect. As of August 2026, the Department of Transportation confirmed the suspension remains in place.
Is there Grab in Iloilo City?
Yes. Grab has operated GrabCar in Iloilo City since March 2023 and remains the largest ride-hailing service in the city, alongside GrabTaxi, GrabFood, and GrabExpress.
What is Xicar, and how is it different from Grab?
Xicar is a ride-hailing app built by Iloilo taxi operators and launched in May 2026. Unlike Grab’s TNVS private-vehicle model with dynamic pricing, Xicar connects riders exclusively with metered taxis at fixed, LTFRB-regulated rates and does not apply surge pricing.
Is there Uber or a motorcycle-taxi app (like Angkas) in Iloilo City?
There is no Uber in the Philippines. App-based motorcycle taxis are not legally available in Iloilo City either — LTFRB’s national pilot for that service is limited to Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.
How do I get from Iloilo International Airport to Iloilo City?
Options include a shared shuttle van from SM City Iloilo (around ₱100 per person, departs when full), GrabCar (roughly ₱450–700 depending on vehicle size, off-peak), a negotiated taxi (around ₱600, though insisting on the meter is the safer bet), or a budget jeepney-plus-multicab combination via Sta. Barbara for under ₱30. The drive typically takes 40–45 minutes.
How much is the ferry from Iloilo City to Guimaras?
₱40 one-way in daytime as of March 2026, with a discounted ₱32 fare for students, senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women. Fares rise to ₱50 (regular) and ₱40 (discounted) from 8 p.m. onward. The crossing itself takes 15 to 20 minutes.
What is the tricycle fare in Iloilo City?
₱15 for the first two kilometers, plus ₱1 for each additional kilometer. A proposed increase to ₱20 passed first reading at the City Council in March 2026 but was put on hold, so the ₱15 rate still applies.
Will Iloilo City get a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system?
It’s in the works but not yet built. A government-backed feasibility study (funded by Sweden’s Swedfund International) targeted completion in April 2026 and covers Iloilo City plus six neighboring towns, while a separate private proposal from First Balfour Inc. is being negotiated for a three-line electric BRT. Neither has broken ground as of this writing.
Are there electric taxis in Iloilo City?
A small pilot exists: Quarry Taxi has been moving a handful of electric units through LTFRB’s permitting process since 2025. A much larger plan to bring 1,000 electric taxis to the city was rejected by regulators in 2026 due to an existing three-year moratorium on new taxi franchises.
What discounts apply to jeepney, tricycle, and bus fares in Iloilo City?
Senior citizens, persons with disability, and students each receive a statutory 20% discount on public utility vehicle fares, under three separate national laws (RA 9994, RA 10754, and RA 11314 respectively). The student discount applies for the whole enrollment period, not just school days.
Iloilo City’s transportation network in 2026 is a city in transition: the same jeepneys, tricycles, and boats that have moved Ilonggos for decades, now joined by a homegrown ride-hailing app, a nationally funded airport upgrade, and the early groundwork for a bus rapid transit system that could reshape how the whole metro area gets around. Whichever option you choose — heritage jeepney, app-booked taxi, or a ferry across to Guimaras — the fundamentals covered in this guide should get you there safely, affordably, and on time.
Planning to start a transportation business in Iloilo? Looking for logistics services or want your business listed in our directory? Visit our business directory to connect with transportation providers and explore opportunities in Iloilo’s growing mobility sector.
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