In early 2018, I wrote a four-part series on the travails of the “habal-habal”, the motorcycle-for-ride transport mode not only in the Philippines but in almost all countries in the global south. This was at that time that former Mayor Osmeña created the Two-wheeled Motorized Vehicle Monitoring, Coordinating, and Assistance Unit (TMV-MCAU) under EO No. 023 s.2017. Pending the passage of a law in Congress, this was an attempt to manage this half-a-century-old mode of mobility used by millions of Filipinos.

This rejoinder is prompted by a news article yesterday on Davao Representative Paolo Duterte’s lament on the delay of the “pilot study” on the “viability and safety” of motorcycles-for-hire as a mode of commuter transport, promised by LTFRB in 2019. “It has dragged on, continuing on its fourth year – with no certainty on when this would be concluded and its recommendations released to the public,” he said. I certainly agree --studies like this usually wouldn’t take four months, maybe six months at most. A friend of mine even commented, “why do a study on something Filipinos have been seeing and using for the last 40 years?”

MANILA – Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte on Monday urged Congress to immediately pass a bill that would regulate the online lending industry and expressly prohibit unfair, deceptive and shameful debt collection practices.

Duterte said House Bill (HB) 6681 would protect financial borrowers from public shaming, extortionate interest charges and other "vicious" online lending practices.

The government should intensify its efforts to pin down online lenders who shame and employ vicious collection tactics on its borrowers, a lawmaker said Monday.

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Davao City lawmaker Paolo Duterte added that Congress should do its part by tackling proposed bills that aim to regulate the online lending sector when it resumes session on July 24.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte has cited the urgency of passing a law that would protect financial borrowers from public shaming, extortionate interest charges, and other vicious online lending practices that continue to claim more victims despite a supposed government crackdown against abusive moneylenders.

He called on Congress to immediately tackle bills that aim to regulate the online lending sector when it resumes session in two weeks, so as to speed up the passage of a law that would expressly prohibit the unfair, deceptive, and shameful practices resorted to by online loan sharks.

In a statement on Monday, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte asked Congress to immediately tackle bills that would regulate the online lending industry once it resumes session after July 24.

Duterte said he filed House Bill (HB) No. 6681 last December 2022 to stop the harassment and unfair treatment of debtors. However, it is still with the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries as of now.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte has pushed for the swift approval of a measure that would protect financial borrowers from public shaming, extortionate interest charges, and other vicious online lending practices.

Duterte said abusive debt collectors continue to victimize borrowers despite a supposed government crackdown against them.

Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte has highlighted the need for a law that would regulate the collection practices of debt collectors--including "microloan apps"--in a bid to protect borrowers from abuses, harassment, unfair treatment, and misrepresentations.

For this purpose, Duterte led the filing of House Bill (HB) No.HB 6681, or the proposed Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Lawmaker Rep. Paolo Duterte of Davao City in the Philippines has expressed concern over the lack of regulations governing motorcycles-for-hire in Metro Manila. Despite assurances from the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that a report is underway, there has been no progress in finalizing the pilot study on the viability and safety of motorcycle taxis, which began in 2019.

Rep. Duterte highlighted the need for clarity and certainty regarding the future of motorcycle taxis. The LTFRB’s technical working group (TWG) was formed in response to the directive of the Department of Transportation, but the release of the pilot study’s recommendations has been delayed, leaving the public in limbo. The absence of clear regulations has led to an increase in unregulated motorcycle-for-hire services, known as habal-habal rides, operating outside the scope of the LTFRB’s pilot study. This unregulated growth poses safety concerns and lacks accountability.

Itinulak ni Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte ang isang panukala laban sa mga lending company na pinagbabantaan o ipinapahiya ang mga hindi nakakabayad ng utang sa oras.

Ayon kay Duterte, patuloy ang pagdami ng mga nabibiktima ng mga pasaway na lending company sa kabila ng kampanya ng gobyerno laban sa mga ito.

MANILA, Philippines — While motorcycle taxis have been operating in Metro Manila for some time, there is still no law that governs motorcycles-for-hire despite assurances from the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that a report is underway, a lawmaker said yesterday.

Rep. Paolo Duterte of Davao City noted that the LTFRB has yet to release its “pilot study” on the “viability and safety” of motorcycles-for-hire as a mode of commuter transport, which started way back in 2019, or a year before the COVID pandemic spread

Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte on Thursday pushed for the immediate approval of a proposed bill regulating the operation of the motorcycles-for-hire, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

Duterte and fellow co-authors of House Bill 4470 -- Reps. Eric Yap (Benguet) and Edvic Yap (ACT-CIS), made this call after various advocacy groups asked the government to lift the cap on the number of motorcycle taxis.

Isinusulong ngayon ni Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte ang agarang pag-pasa ng kaniyang panukalang batas ukol sa pag-regulate ng motorcycles-for-hire.

Kasama ni Duterte sa pagsulong ng House Bill 4470 sina Reps. Eric Yap (Benguet) and Edvic Yap (ACT-CIS) na pare-parehong nanawagan ng pagpasa ng nasabing panukalang batas.

Ito’y matapos manawagan naman ang ilang mga advocacy groups na tanggalin na ang cap sa bilang ng mga motorcycle taxis.