Truck ban targets Pagbilao town center traffic flow

By Rowena T. Cruz Personnel install a traffic signage in Pagbilao ahead of the enforcement of the municipality's truck ban ordinance cov...

By Rowena T. Cruz

Personnel install a traffic signage in Pagbilao ahead of the enforcement of the municipality's truck ban ordinance covering heavy vehicles in the poblacion. (Pagbilao Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management)

PAGBILAO, Quezon - Heavy vehicles will soon face movement restrictions in the poblacion of Pagbilao under a new traffic management measure adopted by the local government. The policy aims to regulate traffic flow and improve road safety during peak travel hours.

Municipal Ordinance No. 7, Series of 2026 restricts the entry of vehicles weighing 4,501 kilograms or more into the poblacion during designated hours. The ordinance covers heavy equipment vehicles, trailers, dump trucks and cargo trucks with six wheels or more.



Councilor Ariel Martinez authored the ordinance, while the Sangguniang Bayan approved the measure before Mayor Angelica Portes signed it on April 11. Portes said the municipality adopted the ordinance to address traffic concerns in the town center.

The ordinance prohibits covered vehicles from entering, crossing, parking, loading or unloading within the poblacion during restricted hours. Authorities will enforce the regulation from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

The Traffic Management Office and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office are installing additional traffic signages in strategic locations ahead of enforcement. Administrator Juan H. Zaporteza and OIC Jane M. Luce are coordinating the activity under the direction of Portes.

The ordinance exempts government trucks, public utility buses, garbage trucks, fuel trucks, water delivery trucks and vehicles transporting essential goods. It also exempts vehicles used for emergency response, road maintenance and authorized deliveries within the poblacion under specific conditions.

The ordinance aims to improve traffic flow within the poblacion by reducing the number of heavy vehicles passing through major roads during peak hours. It also seeks to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and students by limiting truck movement in areas with high daytime traffic.

Truck operators are expected to use the Pagbilao Bypass Road instead of passing through the town center. The municipal government said the route will accommodate vehicles affected by the restriction.

The ordinance imposes fines of P1,000 for a first offense, P2,000 for a second offense and P2,500 for a third offense. The Traffic Management Office and the Philippine National Police will enforce the regulation.

Preparations for the ordinance's implementation are now underway across the municipality through signage installation and information drives. The local government is completing public information activities and installing traffic signages before the ordinance takes full effect.