Cebu Province will standardize truck ban hours across its 44 municipalities and six component cities to ease delivery delays and prevent what business leaders called a "logistical chokehold."
Executive Order for Unified Schedule
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said the planned executive order will set a common truck ban schedule for local government units (LGUs) under the Province, while urging the highly urbanized cities (HUCs) of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu to adopt a unified framework. HUCs are independent from the Provincial Government.
The governor's decision followed a consultative meeting at the Capitol in Cebu City on Thursday, April 30, 2026, attended by traffic managers from Danao City to Carcar City, local officials and logistics stakeholders.
Warning from Business Sector
During the meeting, business leaders warned that high fuel costs and fragmented truck ban rules across Metro Cebu have constrained the movement of goods.
"The current uncoordinated bans across cities threaten supply chains, raise inflation and hurt Cebu's competitiveness as an investment hub," said Mark Anthony Ynoc, immediate past president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ynoc said inconsistent regulations have cost businesses billions of pesos, forcing some firms to cut jobs or reduce operations to a fraction of their fleet capacity.
He said varying truck ban schedules in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay and Consolacion town leave trucks idling for six to 10 hours daily when crossing borders.
The delays result in missed deliveries, higher fuel consumption, penalties and faster vehicle wear, while worsening traffic congestion because companies deploy more trucks to meet demand, he said.
"Fragmented truck bans are no longer sustainable. A unified lifting of the truck ban, followed by smart, coordinated policies, will lower the cost of goods, protect jobs and, most of all, keep Cebu as the economic engine of the Visayas," Ynoc said.
Policy Guide
Baricuatro said the Province is working to harmonize truck ban hours, penalties and exemptions to address logistics bottlenecks and ease the movement of goods.
She said the executive order will serve as a guide for LGUs, while the Province continues consultations with stakeholders to ensure alignment across jurisdictions.
City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong and 1st District Provincial Board Member Lakambini "Neneth" Reluya also joined the discussions, which form part of the Province's broader effort to address rising energy costs triggered by the war in the Middle East and improve supply chain efficiency in Cebu.
Inflation Pressure
Baricuatro had earlier proposed a unified truck ban schedule during a meeting with Metro Cebu traffic managers to address inflation and logistics delays, citing inconsistent local regulations that force delivery trucks to stop at city borders, driving up transport and food costs.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed Cebu Province's inflation rate rose to 9.1 percent in March 2026 from 8.0 percent in February and 3.8 percent in March 2025.
The PSA cited faster annual increases in transport and food and non-alcoholic beverages as key drivers of the March 2026 inflation uptrend.
The earlier meeting also highlighted varying truck ban hours, penalties and exemptions among LGUs, which have caused confusion, slowed the movement of goods and contributed to rising prices, prompting calls for a standardized policy across Metro Cebu. / CDF
