journalism – Page 34 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Muntinlupa City Council amends ordinances related to companies’ hiring of local residents

March 7, 2024February 27, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Council amended two local ordinances that affects companies (with operations within the city) with regards to their hiring of local residents, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City Council amended an ordinance that requires companies operating in the city to hire 70 percent of their rank-and-file employees from among residents.

Under existing ordinances 08-028 and 96-80, all companies that have at least five employees are mandated to hire at least 70 percent of their rank-and-file employees from among Muntinlupa residents.

Ordinance 2024-151 was passed by the City Council amending the two ordinances.

Under the amended ordinance, excluded in the scope of the local law are the banking sector and any industry mandated by law to implement periodic forced rotation of employees.

Section 6 of Ordinance 96-80 was also amended. Under the new provision, all companies in Muntinlupa including business establishments that contract or avail of rank-and-file employees from service agencies located outside the city are required to submit a yearly report of the list of their employees.

The list will be submitted to the Muntinlupa Public Employment Service Office (PESO) by Sept. 30 of every year.

The PESO monitors all business establishments and companies in Muntinlupa for their compliance with the 70-percent workforce requirement.

According to PESO, the ordinance addresses the unemployment problem in the city by giving Muntinlupeños assurance to be employed by companies.

Under the existing ordinance, companies are required to submit to the PESO and Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) a list of employees as part of requirements in the issuance of business permits.

In the amended law, in addition to submitting the age, address, period of employment in the company, and position and duties of employees, companies are now required to submit the employee’s gender, employees who are classified as persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens, and the company’s reason for not meeting the 50 percent compliance rating in the employment of Muntinlupa residents.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City who happens to be looking for a job, do you think the latest move by the City Council will boost your chances of getting hired? If you own a business operating in the city, do you think the amendments will make managing your lineup of employees more challenging?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippines described by Nikkei Asia as “Asia’s epicenter for online shopping scams”

March 7, 2024February 27, 2024carlocarrasco

In recent times, a lot of people here in the Philippines got cheated by a scammer over their huge purchases of tickets for a Taylor Swift in Singapore. This incident serves as a painful reminder that the nation has been hit by a lot of scams online, so much so the Nikkei Asia published a December 2023 article describing the Philippines as “Asia’s epicenter for online shopping scams.”

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Nikkei Asia article. Some parts in boldface…

James Relativo thought he had landed a great deal on an electric drum set, but instead the Manila resident was cheated out of his money in a country gaining the dubious distinction as Asia’s worst for online sales scams.

Shoppers across the Philippines have been bilked out of millions of dollars so far this year, with some turning to victim chat groups on Facebook and other social media. A recent report found more than one-third of Filipinos surveyed had been scammed or encountered retail fraud online.

“Some people easily believe in false promises even if they are too good to be true,” warned Alexander Ramos, executive director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).

In retrospect, Relativo might have been more skeptical about a drum set going for 8,000 pesos ($140), less than half the usual price, on e-commerce site Shopee.

But he hit ‘buy’ without hesitating, and soon things turned suspicious. The seller shifted its communications to a messaging app and demanded half the cost of the drums for “refundable taxes.”

More money demands followed until a frustrated Relativo agreed to bypass Shopee’s payment system and settle his remaining balance on GCash, a digital payments platform. He never got his drums.

“I just kept telling him I wanted my money back,” Relativo told Nikkei Asia, his voice laced with exasperation. “It wasn’t like I was dealing with a scammer — he was talking to me, sending me pictures of the drum set being packed.“

The journalist’s saga highlights a bitter experience for a growing number of people in the Philippines, which clocked the highest scam rate for online shoppers across nearly a dozen economies in the 2023 Asia Scam Report, published in November.

Commissioned by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and Taiwan-based tech security company Gogolook, the report surveyed 20,000 respondents about their online shopping experiences in Vietnam, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

The shopping scam rate in the Philippines led the group at an eye-watering 35.9%, followed by mainland China at 27.2%. South Korea had the lowest incidence, at 4.2%.

The explosion in online shopping has created a lucrative market for scammers. And a lack of cybercrime awareness is aggravating the problem in the Philippines, where people spend an average of 10 hours a day online by some estimates.

“Although (Filipinos) are considered very connected and digitally wired, (they) do not have adequate digital literacy skills,” said Mark Manantan, director of cybersecurity and critical technologies at the Pacific Forum in Hawaii.

The survey found that Filipinos were easy prey for scammers because they “respond too quickly” to sellers’ demands.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think Nikkei Asia’s article is detailed enough and trustworthy when it comes to gaining a strong awareness about online scams? How members of your household or your local community got scammed online over the past six months? Why do you think a lot of people in the Philippines are so determined to spend a lot of money to watch a Taylor Swift event overseas?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Mayor asks City Council to pass ordinance to regulate electric tricycles (e-trikes)

March 5, 2024March 4, 2024carlocarrasco

In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon formally asked the City Council to pass an ordinance that would regulate the use of electric tricycles (e-trikes) within the city, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. For the newcomers reading this, the Metro Manila Council (MMC) passed a resolution covering e-trikes and electric bikes (e-bikes) while the Land Transportation Office (LTO) wants the said electric vehicles to be registered.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon asked the City Council to pass an ordinance regulating the use of e-trikes (electric tricycles) in the city, saying “the road is a dangerous place.”

During the flag-raising ceremony at the Muntinlupa City hall on March 4, Biazon said a local measure is needed following a resolution passed by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) that will ban e-trikes and e-bikes on 21 national roads in Metro Manila. A P2,500 fine will be imposed on violators.

Each local government unit (LGU) in Metro Manila will determine the roads in its jurisdiction that will be added to the ban.

Biazon said the MMC resolution does not include any road in Muntinlupa but the city has the National Road, which stretches from Barangay Tunasan to Sucat.

Only e-trikes will be under regulation in Muntinlupa.

“Talagang lumalaganap ang ownership ng e-trikes kasi mura nga naman, it’s a means of transportation. Madaling matutunan (The ownership of e-trikes is spreading because it’s really affordable, it’s a means of transportation. It’s easy to learn how to drive it),” said Biazon.

However, based on traffic accidents, he said, there is a growing number of incidents involving e-trikes.

Biazon said the use of e-trikes is “running out of control.” He noted that e-trikes are being driven by minors going to school.

“The road is a dangerous place. Kaya mayroong (That is why we have) road rules and regulations for safety of everyone,” he said.

Road accidents can hurt and kill people, he said.

“The road is a dangerous place which needs regulation,” said the mayor.

“How come ang e-trike, nakikisama dun sa kalsada, sumasabay, minsan nga nagwi-weave in and out pa sa traffic, sila pa nagagalit, bakit hindi nag-a-undergo ng the same kind of regulation? ) How come e-trikes, which join the road, going along, and sometimes they weave in and out of traffic, they are even the ones who get angry, don’t undergo the same kind of regulation? They also cause traffic, they also cause accidents,” said Biazon.

He added, “At the point, kasalanan ng gobyerno na hindi kaagad naregulate o pinabayaan pa na lumaganap ang paggamit. From the very beginning dapat kinontrol na yon kasi nga we are using the road. Yan po ang position ng Metro Manila Council. (At this point, it is the fault of the government for not immediately regulating or letting its use to spread. From the very beginning, it should have been controlled because we are using the road. That is the position of the Metro Manila Council).”

“My position is clear: We need to regulate,” said Biazon, adding that the LTO is being called upon by the MMC to come up with licensing requirements for e-trike and e-bike users.

Muntinlupa City Council Majority Floor Leader Raul Corro said they will hold a public hearing to discuss the details of the regulation in the city.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you think that electric tricycles are so rampant locally they are made the flow of traffic slower and they became new traffic hazards? Did you see anyone drive an e-trike along the Alabang-Zapote Road or the national road leading to Muntinlupa City Hall? Are there minors in your local community who daringly drove an e-trike lately? Did you spot a reckless e-trike driver who committed violations such as violating the red traffic light, doing illegal counter-flow or illegally parking along a major road?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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DOE eyes 1,200-MW nuclear power capacity with SMR technologies in the Philippines by 2032

March 4, 2024February 24, 2024carlocarrasco

The path will be long and challenging for the Philippines to become a nuclear-powered nation but the Department of Energy (DOE) remains determined on achieving that goal by the year 2032 with the use of small modular reactor (SMR) technologies that could generate an initial 1,200 megawatts, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Department of Energy (DOE) top and senior officials said the agency is targeting to get a 1,200-megawatt installed power capacity from nuclear resources using small modular reactor (SMR) technologies by 2032.

This was confirmed by DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla as well as Undersecretaries Rowena Cristina Guevara and Sharon Garin to reporters in an interview in Taguig City on Thursday.

Lotilla said the government remains open to all technologies that will supply the growing power demand of the country in the coming years.

“(T)he commercial rollout of certain nuclear technologies are going to be there… (W)e can start planning for 2032 at the earliest. From the figures, you can see these are modest figures, 1,200 (MW) by 2032,” the DOE chief.

In her speech at the B2B Matching to Support Energy Transition (B2B SET), Guevara said this potential capacity would come from eight 150-MW SMRs.

She added that under the DOE’s Clean Energy Scenario (CES) 1, the 1,200 MW potential installed capacity for nuclear by 2032 is forecast to have additional 1,200 MW capacity by 2035 and another 2,400 MW by 2050.

Manila Electric Company has partnered with American firm Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) to explore the potential of micro-modular reactors in the country.

AboitizPower Corp. is also exploring collaborations with NuScale Power Corp. and USNC in this sector.

Aside from the latest SMR technologies, Garin said the country is studying the viability of conventional nuclear reactors like the existing Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Garin said the DOE is in talks with the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) for a more comprehensive feasibility study for the BNPP.

She added that the feasibility study with KHNP will determine if the government should pursue BNPP as a nuclear energy source in the future.

She said around 12 sites, mostly in the western parts of the country, are being studied for future locations of nuclear power facilities.

Safety first – Meanwhile, Lotilla stressed that the government will ensure that the safety concerns on nuclear energy technologies will be addressed first before putting up nuclear power plants.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think the both the government and the private sector can make breakthroughs happen to pave the way for a nuclear-powered Philippines? Are there many people in your local community who are still afraid of nuclear energy because of what they saw in movies or TV shows that showed nuclear disasters?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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LTO wants electric bikes and electric tricycles registered and their respective drivers must be licensed

March 4, 2024February 29, 2024carlocarrasco

In connection with the Metro Manila Council’s (MMC) approval of a resolution affecting electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes), the Land Transportation Office (LTO) proposed to have all of the said vehicles to be registered and their respective drivers must be licensed to drive them, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Land Transportation Office wants light electric vehicles such as electric bikes and electric tricycles to be registered and their drivers to have licenses.

The proposal was presented by LTO chief Vigor Mendoza to stakeholders at a public consultation at the LTO office on Thursday.

In making his proposal, Mendoza cited Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code which requires all vehicles that use public roads maintained and funded by the government whether local or national to be registered.

During the consultation, 1-Rider Partylist Bonifacio Bosita asked Mendoza if the fee for light electric vehicles could be charged half the fee of regular motorcycle registration, to which Mendoza replied that the LTO is amenable to.

Aside from registration, Mendoza said drivers who will use light electric vehicles will be required to have a license.

The Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP) did not pose any objection to the proposal.

On Wednesday, the Metro Manila Council and the Metro Manila Development Authority approved a resolution banning light electric vehicles on national roads and imposing a fine of P2,500. For those drivers apprehended without a driver’s license, the vehicle will be impounded.

For my previous blog posts about e-bikes and e-trikes, click here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

For added insight about the violations caused by users of e-trikes and e-bikes, watch the YouTube videos below…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you agree with the LTO that e-bikes and e-trikes must be registered and their respective drivers should be required to have licenses? Are there many e-bike or e-trike users among your local community’s residents who are feeling uneasy about the new regulations and rules that will take effect soon? Did you see any e-bike or e-trike being driven by minors within your locality?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Mayor emphasizes many accomplishments and what lies ahead for the city

March 4, 2024March 2, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon revealed through his State of the City Address lots of details about what the City Government has achieved and what lies ahead, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The mayor’s speech happened on the afternoon of March 1 during the cityhood anniversary celebration and Charter Day celebration.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon bared the accomplishments of his administration since assuming office in 2022 and said “there is much work still to be done” for the city.

“But as we reflect on our accomplishments, we also recognize that there is much work still to be done. We must remain committed to our vision of progress and continue working tirelessly to address the challenges that lie ahead,” said Biazon during his State of the City Address (SOCA) held during Muntinlupa’s 29th cityhood anniversary on March 1.

Muntinlupa became a highly urbanized city through Republic Act 7926 or the Charter of the City of Muntinlupa signed into law on March 1, 1995.

During Biazon’s second SOCA, he also recognized the efforts of past mayors of Muntinlupa including Baldomero Viñalon, Ignacio Bunye and Jaime Fresnedi.

“And as we gather to reflect on our past accomplishments and set our sights on the future, I am reminded of the enduring truth that progress is not merely measured by the structures we build or the policies we implement. It is also seen in how included, relevant and heard a person feels as a member of his or her community,” said Biazon.

When he became the mayor of Muntinlupa, Biazon said, “I adopted as my mission two objectives — provide the needs of Muntinlupeños and no one gets left behind.”

“We all want better days for our children and our children’s children. But in order to get there, we have to embark on a journey that begins with accepting the reality that the present isn’t perfect. We have gaps in our service, there are initiatives that are struggling to take off, there are limitations that are unanticipated,” he said.

He added, “We envision a Muntinlupa where every citizen embodies the values of integrity, responsibility, and excellence. Where each Muntinlupeño takes pride in their role as a law-abiding citizen, a dependable worker, a nurturing parent, or a diligent student.”

Among the programs of the Muntinlupa City government, Biazon said the scholarship program tremendously helped students and their families.

There are about 80,000 scholars in Muntinlupa every year. The city government increased the budget for scholarship to P587 million from P416 million “to provide for the increase of scholarship allowances that began last year.”

About 100,000 public school students were also provided with a free “Balik Eskwela” packages containing school bags, school supplies and leather shoes.

To help the education sector, Biazon launched the Womb to Work Program “that stitches together a series of interventions that address the different stages that a child goes through from the womb of the mother up to the age of productivity. The mission is to give each Muntinlupeño child the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated and productive. It begins by providing care for children even while they are in the womb, which means care for the mothers is just as critical.”

Part of Biazon’s program for children is on nutrition – “The good news is we’re on the right track. In fact, Muntinlupa City recently was recently conferred the CROWN or Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition Award dahil sa back-to-back-to-back na pagtanggap natin ng Green Banner Award mula sa National Nutrition Council. Palakpakan natin ang ating City Nutrition Committee,” he said.

He added, “The local government’s nutrition programs continue to bring down the incidence of malnutrition. The number of underweight and severely underweight young children has gone down by almost a third since 2020.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you satisfied over what the City Government has achieved since the day Mayor Biazon first took office? Do you think Muntinlupa will stand out as the most dynamic economic city in South Metro Manila by having lots of business thriving and more than enough new jobs created? What do you think the City Government should do in preparation for the 30^th cityhood anniversary on March 1, 2025?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Mayor comments on ban on e-bikes and e-trikes on national roads plus regulations approved by Metro Manila Council (MMC)

March 1, 2024February 28, 2024carlocarrasco

In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon spoke about the Metro Manila Council’s (MMC) approval of a resolution banning electric tricycles (e-trikes) and electric bikes (e-bikes) on national roads within Metro Manila and regulating them, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon said it is about time to rationalize the use of e-vehicles (electric vehicles) in the country in light of an increase in road accidents.

On Feb. 28, the Metro Manila Council (MMC), to which Biazon belongs, passed a resolution banning e-trikes (electric tricycles) and e-bikes (electric bikes) on national roads in Metro Manila. A P2,500 fine will be imposed on violators.

E-trike and e-bike drivers will also be required to obtain a driver’s license.

In addition, each local government unit (LGU) in Metro Manila will determine the roads in its jurisdiction that will be added to the ban.

“It is about time we rationalize the use of these vehicles which are increasingly getting involved in accidents, cause traffic and endanger their users,” said Biazon.

Biazon, a former congressman, added that “many of those who operate these e-vehicles lack the basic knowledge in road use and driving skills.”

“It has even been observed that some are driven by minors who would not even qualify for a student driver’s permit,” he noted.

He explained that “driving motor vehicles on roads is only a privilege, that’s before anyone is allowed to drive a motor vehicle, a license is required after undergoing training and a test.”

“Since drivers of these e-vehicle are using the same road, they should also comply with requirements imposed on motor vehicle drivers,” he said.

For my previous blog posts about e-bikes and e-trikes, click here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, did you notice e-bikes or e-trikes traveling along the Alabang-Zapote Road or the old highway going to Muntinlupa City Hall lately? Did you notice e-trikes entering the parking areas of Alabang shopping malls and actually park? Are you concerned that the charging of e-bikes or e-trikes at home could spark a fire unexpectedly?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Electric tricycle (e-trike) driver arrested for cursing the police after illegally parking his vehicle

February 29, 2024February 20, 2024carlocarrasco

With the huge spotlight on electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) in recent times here in the Philippines, it is clear that such vehicles have caused public disturbances and already local and national authorities are working in response to them. Within the city of Manila, an incident happened recently as an e-trike driver, who caught the attention of the local police with illegal parking, got arrested after cursing the police, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

An electric tricycle or e-trike driver who illegally parked his vehicle was arrested for direct assault after shouting and cursing police in Tondo, Manila on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The Manila Police District (MPD) identified the arrested suspect as Abraham Fernandez, 31, a resident of Barangay 123 in Tondo, Manila.

Before the suspect’s arrest, MPD personnel patrolled when they saw the suspect parked his e-trike in a no-parking zone along Juan Luna Street, Barangay 9, Zone 1 in Tondo, at around 4:20 p.m.

The authorities approached the suspect and told him to remove his vehicle blocking the road, which could cause traffic.

However, instead of cooperating, the suspect resisted, shouted, and cursed at the authorities in front of the public, which resulted in his arrest.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Did you notice e-bike or e-trike drivers drive recklessly within your local community? Are there any minors who drove e-bikes or e-trikes in your local community? Are you hoping that the local government and the nation government agencies will ban e-bikes and e-trikes on major roads and have all the vehicles required for registration?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Government tells telecom firms to relocate cables and wires underground this year

February 29, 2024February 20, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government formally told all telecommunication companies and service providers to relocate the overhead cables and wires underground this year in accordance to an existing city ordinance, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

All telecommunication companies and service providers that use overhead wires and cables are required to relocate and install their facilities underground starting this year in Muntinlupa.

This is mandated by Muntinlupa City Ordinance 2021-256 which was passed by the Muntinlupa City Council in August 2021.

2021-056 is an “ordinance requiring/mandating all telecommunication companies, service providers, and other similar entities that use overhead wires and/or cables operating within the City of Muntinlupa to install and/or relocate wire and cable system underground.”

Muntinlupa Councilor Mamerto Sevilla Jr., chairman of the Committee on Land Use and Zoning and one of the sponsors of the ordinance, told Manila Bulletin that the ordinance will take effect by August this year.

“Yung ordinance kasi ipinasa noong 2021, August. Implied doon sa ordinance na after three years magte-take effect. So yung three years niya this August (The ordinance was passed in 2021. It is implied in the ordinance that it will take effect after three years. So the three years will be this August),” said Sevilla.

He said by August this year, affected companies under the first phase should have relocated their wires and cables underground.

The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) are being prepared by the Muntinlupa City government.

The ordinance stated that “it is necessary to protect the residents from the hazardous effects of overhead lines in the event of earthquakes, heavy rain or thunderstorms.”

“An underground cabling system will serve the purpose of having a sustainable, safe, and clean aesthetic view of power lines to respond to the changing needs of technology which are likewise less susceptive to mechanical damages,” it added.

The ordinance covers “all telecommunication companies, service providers, and other similar entities which use overhead wires and cables located within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Muntinlupa.”

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will be allowed to maintain its overhead wiring and cabling subject to restrictions.

Under the Muntinlupa ordinance, telecommunication companies and service providers are defined as “any company, private corporation or business entity which has a franchise to operate a system of transmission of signs, signals, messages, words, writings, images and sounds or information of any nature by wire, radio, optical electromagnetic systems.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you think the adjustments of wires and cables will be implemented by the telecommunication firms with minimal disruption of services?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Metro Manila Council (MMC) approves resolution banning e-trikes and e-bikes on major roads within the NCR, regulation of said vehicles will be implemented

February 29, 2024April 3, 2024carlocarrasco

Finally, the authorities in Metro Manila made a major move as the Metro Manila Council (MMC) approved yesterday a resolution that specifically prohibits electric tricycles (e-trikes) and electric bikes (e-bikes) on major roads within the National Capital Region (NCR), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. That being said, the mentioned electric vehicles (e-vehicles) will finally be regulated by local authorities and their users will be required to be licensed to drive.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Mayors of Metro Manila agreed on Wednesday, Feb. 28, to ban e-scooters and e-trikes on major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region (NCR) amid rampant traffic violations and accidents involving the small electric vehicles.

The decision was stipulated in a resolution of the Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of all Metro Manila mayors, according to MMC Chairman and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora during a press briefing with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Don Artes.

“Why are we doing this? There were a lot of pictures and videos shown to us about accidents involving these e-trikes and e-bikes and their presence on national roads and even on expressways which show that they are not following traffic rules and regulations,” said Zamora.

“Ultimately, the objective is to regulate and impose fines for the safety of everybody especially that the number of these e-bikes and e-trikes are continuously increasing,” he added.

Artes said that while there are other local government units across the country that have already issued ordinances on the use of e-bikes and e-trikes, the missing part of these ordinances and regulations was that they do not have stipulated fines for violators.

As a matter of protocol, the implementation of the resolution will be done 15 days after its publication.

Initial list – Initially, both the MMDA and MMC identified 19 major roads in Metro Manila where e-bikes and e-trikes are banned.

They are Recto Avenue, Quirino Avenue, Araneta Avenue, Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), Katipunan/CP Garcia, Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, Roxas Boulevard, Taft Avenue, South Luzon Expressway, Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard/Aurora Boulevard, Quezon Avenue/Commonwealth Avenue, A. Bonifacio Avenue, Rizal Avenue, Delpan/Marcos Highway/McArthur Highway, Elliptical Road, Mindanao Avenue and Marcos Highway.

Zamora, however, said that the number of roads where e-bikes and e-trikes are banned will increase in the coming days as all local government units (LGUs)( in Metro Manila were given authority to identify roads where e-bikes and e-trikes will not be allowed to travel.

Penalty – Artes said the MMC will be imposing P2,500 fine to all violators, or those who would dare to enter the prohibited roads.

He said the MMDA and enforcers of the LGUs are authorized to impose the fine on every e-bike and e-trike violator.

Artes said the same MMC resolution also authorizes traffic enforcers to impound e-bikes and e-trikes.

“If they enter the national roads we will impose a fine of P2,500. At the same time if the driver of these e-bikes and e-trikes have no driver’s license, then we will impound the vehicles,” said Artes.

Artes explained that the decision to impound the e-bikes and e-trikes was made since they could not issue a citation ticket for violation since the current regulation states that these vehicles do not need to be registered.

“Why do we have to impound them? With no registration and the driver has no driver’s license, who would receive the citation ticket?

Guidelines – Zamora, on the other hand, said they expect the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to release the guideline on Thursday, Feb. 29, on the use of e-bikes and e-trikes.

But this early, he said drivers of e-bikes and e-trikes must have a driver’s license in order to ensure that they underwent the proper training and seminar on traffic rules and regulations, as well as road safety measures.

“We consulted with the LTO to ask if the LGU has the power, and they said that if the e-trikes and e-bikes are not registered and the drivers do not have a driver’s license, then these are already two violations,” said Zamora.

Artes, for his part, said they expect the LTO guideline to discuss and clear things up on registration and the driver’s license requirement for riders of e-bikes and e-trikes.

For my previous blog posts about e-bikes and e-trikes, click here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think the regulation of electric vehicles (including e-bikes and e-trikes) and the ban on them on national roads will make vehicular travel safer for all? Do you think the declared penalty is too low? Are traffic enforcers in your city ready to implement the new rules that the Metro Manila Council approved? Do you think that there will be no more electric vehicles driven by minors once the new rules take effect?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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