Lack of Law Limits Regulation of Motorcycle-For-Hire in Iloilo City

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna said there is a need to inventory motorcycle-for-hire units in Iloilo City, emphasizing that the city government’s hands are tied due to the lack of a national law fully legalizing and regulating their operations.

Cabaluna, who chairs the Committee on Transportation, stressed that without a comprehensive national policy, local governments face a legal and regulatory gray area in dealing with motorcycle taxis.

In Iloilo City, the traditional habal-habal system has evolved into informal “looking-for-rider” services, which now operate primarily through Facebook.

These services, coordinated via Facebook groups and chats, offer point-to-point transport and delivery of goods within the city.

Under Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, motorcycles are prohibited from operating as public transport or as vehicles for hire.

In Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities, operations of motorcycle taxis such as Angkas and JoyRide are allowed only under a pilot program approved by Congress in 2019 to test their safety and viability.

This pilot program has been extended multiple times, most recently ending in 2024, but no permanent law has been passed to legalize and regulate the industry.

With this regulatory gap, Cabaluna said a practical first step is to conduct an inventory of motorcycle-for-hire units in the city.

“We start with the inventory, accounting, then we know the numbers, we engage, we discuss, and see where we can go and get recommendations for moving forward with them,” he said in an interview.

The inventory, he added, would allow the city to enforce safety measures, such as the mandatory use of helmets and identifying eligible passengers.

Cabaluna said the government cannot simply or immediately ban these services from the streets, as they serve a specific market and meet a growing demand from the riding public.

“It’s difficult if we consider them nonexistent—because they do exist, and there’s a lot,” he said.

He added that dismantling their operations without proper planning could create ripple effects in the city’s transport system.

“There is a sector that chooses them because maybe they are faster and more convenient,” he said.

While motorcycle taxis are seen by many as a valuable transport option, Cabaluna warned that their current unregulated status leaves room for scams, harassment and accidents.