High in the mountains of Alimodian, Iloilo, clouds brush the hilltops. Silence stretches for miles. There’s a small barangay that seems forgotten by time and maybe by progress.
Barangay Lico, home to around 380 residents, lies just 28 kilometers from the town proper of Alimodian, Iloilo. But the journey there feels like entering another world. The road? Barely one. It’s a winding stretch of loose rocks and deep ruts. It is passable only by motorcycles or habal-habal. These are driven by locals who’ve mastered the route’s every bump and bend.
In this village, life follows the rhythm of the earth. The cool climate is perfect for farming lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli—crops that fetch good prices in town. But getting those vegetables down the mountain without damage? That’s the problem.
“Before we even reach the market, the road already damaged our products.” Barangay Captain Rammy Cagud speaks with a soft voice. His words carry the quiet weight of frustration. “We’re farmers. We know how to work hard. But this road—this road wears us down.”
For the people of Lico, every trip outside the barangay is a risk. When children fall ill, the ride to the nearest clinic isn’t just rough—it’s dangerous. When they need supplies, prices are inflated simply because hauling goods up here is a struggle. And when a landslide hit in 2023, wiping out homes and the local daycare center, rebuilding was painfully slow. Not for lack of will. Transporting materials along that road is a feat of its own. The help is still unknown.
They thought help had finally come. Government funds were approved to pave the access road—an announcement that sparked rare celebration in the mountains. However, that hope was put on hold. Engineers discovered the ground beneath the planned route was soft and unstable, unable to support standard construction.
It was a blow,” Cagud admits. “But we’re not giving up. We don’t expect miracles. We are just waiting for the government to find a way to resolve our struggles.
Lico doesn’t wait idly. Families continue rebuilding. Farmers tend their terraced plots with care. Children make do with a temporary school space since the loss of their learning center. Recently, volunteers trekked to the barangay. They brought simple but useful aid. This included basic medical kits for emergencies, and educational supplies for displaced students.
It wasn’t much, but for Lico, it meant someone remembered.
Meanwhile, the road from Alimodian Town Proper to the Seven Cities is under development. However, the status of the road from the Seven Cities to Barangay Lico remains uncertain. Construction on this vital link is unknown.
Nearby barangays in Alimodian’s ‘Seven Cities’ area have seen improved roads—largely to boost tourism. The people of Lico don’t resent this progress. They are simply waiting for their turn, hoping the road to their barangay will improve.
Until then, the village keeps going. It remains quietly resilient, tucked away in the folds of the mountains. The village waits not just for concrete and gravel. It waits for someone to keep the promise that they matter too.
Ilonggo Traveler 
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