Container trucks traveling along one of Manila’s bustling roads, Roxas Boulevard, now experience unobstructed movement as a result of President Marcos’s directive to all local government units to stop charging pass-through fees on the transport of essential goods on national roads starting Monday, 02 October 2023.
The new directive was made possible through Executive Order No. 41, which serves as a clear mandate to all local government units (LGUs) to temporarily halt the collection of these fees. This measure is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the movement of goods within regions falling under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
EO 41 emphasizes that the unauthorized enforcement of pass-through fees significantly impacts transportation and logistics costs, often resulting in these costs being passed on to consumers who ultimately bear the brunt of higher prices for goods.
(Report and photography by Benjamin Cuaresma/ai/mnm)