By Rachel Magday
NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines — Nueva Vizcaya Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito has ordered stricter and even-handed enforcement of Republic Act 8794’s anti-overloading provisions along the Maharlika (Pan-Philippine) Highway, directing intensified inspections at the Calitlitan Weigh Bridge Station in Aritao.
The composite team stationed there is composed of personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Gambito earlier requested that the provincial government be allowed to co-manage the team.
The Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue cum Consultation on Traffic Management in Nueva Vizcaya and Region 02, held at the Ammungan Hall, Provincial Capitol, is an offshoot of the Traffic Management Provincial Summit initiated by the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya (PGNV) during the first quarter of this year.
The activity was attended by various national agencies, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), DPWH, PNP, LTO, and the Department of Economy,Planning and Development(DEPDev-former NEDA).
Speaking at the forum, Gambito said overloaded trucks have figured in accidents and road blockages that cause hours-long congestion, particularly in Diadi and Sta. Fe.
He added that excessive loads speed up pavement deterioration, leading to frequent DPWH reblocking, and that persistent traffic jams are hurting the province’s image, tourism, and food security. He noted that Nueva Vizcaya is increasingly being labeled the “traffic capital” because of recurring heavy traffic—driven in large part by overloaded trucks merely passing through from other provinces.
Cagayan Governor Edgar B. Aglipay, joining via Zoom, proposed a unified ordinance among Region 02 provinces requiring slow-moving vehicles to keep to the outer lane while faster-moving vehicles use the inner lane to maintain traffic flow.
He noted that when slow-moving trucks occupy the inner lane especially while climbing uphill terrain—their speed drops significantly, forcing following vehicles to slow down and worsening congestion.
Police officials cited vehicular accidents including some involving overloaded trucks, seasonal surges in vehicle volume, counterflowing, and slow-moving trucks as primary drivers of heavy traffic on the Maharlika Highway, especially in Diadi and Sta. Fe.
In response, the PNP said that, in coordination with the provincial government and contractors, it is implementing traffic schemes that include deploying additional flagmen at ongoing road construction sites, assigning more PNP personnel to manage traffic, installing median barriers and precautionary traffic signages, and deploying the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) on motorcycles to serve as sweepers to help clear obstructions and restore traffic flow.
A follow-up meeting will be scheduled to continue discussions, with department heads and the governors of Cagayan and Isabela expected to attend; the truckers’ association and other key stakeholders will also be invited to participate.
