TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. GRACE POE's SPONSORSHIP SPEECH

I am firmly putting forward a resolution that addresses a current situation that has proven to be extremely inconvenient and oppressive to all motorists going to and coming from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

We are all familiar with what's currently happening - we've seen the photos on social media, we've heard the news on the radio. Our toll plazas have become parking lots due to the hasty implementation of the Department of Transportation Department Order No. 2020-12 and its related issuances requiring cashless transactions in toll expressways.

This representation already said before but let the records be clear - cashless transactions in our expressways are indeed ideal. Especially in this time of pandemic, I dare say that it is a necessity. However, effective policies are not borne out of good intentions alone.

Department Order 2020-12 does not seem to take into account the preparedness of our toll expressway service providers to comply with such an order. It is being hounded by various issues concerning its implementation. Ang ending, taumbayan na naman ang naperwisyo. Our constituents have suffered enough during this pandemic. Traffic jams and toll booth problems should be the least of their concerns.

At the outset, we can already see two major issues: the absence of an interoperable RFID system on all expressways and the sheer volume of vehicles that need to obtain RFID stickers within a short timeframe - there are 12 million registered vehicles in the country. Of this number, 6.1 million are in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon and three million do not have RFID stickers.

Mr. President, let me enumerate some of the complaints that became the basis of this resolution: (1) the difficulty in obtaining RFIDs; (2) the unreasonable cap set by toll operators on the number of vehicles they accommodate per day for RFID installation; (3) high minimum load requirement; (4) malfunctioning RFID readers and scanners; (5) delays in the reloading system of RFID accounts; (6) unauthorized transactions; and (7) other glitches that prohibit quick access.

Meanwhile, the resulting problem is not merely confined in the area where the electronic toll collection systems are located. The traffic jams they cause extend to nearby cities and municipalities which, in turn, paralyzes local economies. Not to mention that the holiday season will surely exacerbate what is an already worsening problem.

Hindi po ito patas para sa mga kababayan natin na handa namang sumunod. Kaya marapat lang na isuspinde muna ang implementasyon ng cashless o contactless transaction system sa mga expressway habang inihahanda ang mas maayos na sistema na totoong makatutulong sa mga motorista.

This resolution seeks to address the issues at hand by calling for the suspension of the implementation of DOTr Department Order No. 2020-12, its implementing rules and regulations as issued by the Toll Regulatory Board, and Memorandum Circular No. 2020-2224, issued by the Land Transportation Office which provides the uniform rules and regulations for the enforcement of Department Order 2020-012, until they are modified to reflect the following changes:

a. Allow cash lanes in consideration of infrequent and first-time users of expressways;
b. Remove penalties for insufficient cash balances as this should not be a traffic violation and may be remedied at the next reloading opportunity;
c. Impose a deadline on interoperability before a deadline for cashless transaction is imposed;
d. Create a policy on dormant accounts and the accumulated amounts that is expected to pile up through time; and
e. Resolve all other issues for a better cashless and contactless toll system.

Kung hindi pa kumilos ang local government ng Valenzuela, si Mayor Rex Gatchalian, kapatid ng kasamahan natin dito ay hindi pa siguro kikilos rin ang Toll Regulatory Board o ang DOTr. Pinagsasabong pa natin ang concessionaire at ang local government.

Fellow senators, before the year ends, let us ease the burden caused by the foregoing issuances on our fellow Filipinos. It is in this light that I endorse to this chamber, with the support of other Senators namely Senators Gatchalian, Binay, Pacquiao, Marcos, Revilla, Pangilinan, Lacson, De Lima, Dela Rosa, Villanueva, Hontiveros, Gordon, our Senate Pro Tempore Recto and Majority Zubiri, the immediate adoption of Senate Resolution No. 596.