DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City once prided itself as a city opposite to Manila, where its growing urbanization is balanced with wide spaces and nature. Thus, bearing the motto: “Life is Here”.
But the past few years finds the city plagued with a problem that has also confounded Manila: heavy traffic and commuting problems.
It has been a common sight during rush hours in the early morning and early evening, where dozens of students and workers wait by the roadside for jeepneys that are already filled with passengers but hoping that they can still squeeze in. While commuters wait wearily, traffic slows down with a throng of private vehicles.
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The city’s traffic woes have even surpassed Manila, according to the global traffic monitoring website Tomtom Index. Its 2024 study showed that Davao City is the third most congested city and the eighth slowest city center in the world. Commuters in the city spend almost 33 minutes covering a mere 10 kilometers, losing annually an average of 136 hours per individual due to the delay caused by heavy traffic.
Why is this happening? Traffic and city planning officials point to urban growth that has overwhelmed the city’s transportation system.
Vehicle registration has increased over the past two decades. Data showed that registered vehicles in Davao Region (XI) nearly tripled from 189,621 in 2005 to 425,080 in 2016. It is likely more vehicles have been registered in the region for the past nine years.
But the issue for 800,000 commuters in Davao City is the dwindling number of jeepneys. Most of the 7,000 jeepneys had not renewed their franchise since 2023 as the city government is replacing them with the High Priority Bus System (HPBS).
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 11 said in 2024 that thousands of jeepneys ceased operations after the Covid-19 pandemic. He pointed out most of the units are old and could not comply with road worthiness, and others have anticipated the transition to the HPBS.
But the buses have yet to arrive, as the full implementation is set for 2026. Meanwhile, the 800,000 daily commuters have to endure what outgoing Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte warned in 2023 as a “painful transition”.
But the transition is more of an inconvenience. Students complain of the added stress of commuting for nearly an hour back and forth, and of time lost for sleep and studies because of this.
The city government has tried some schemes to address commuting and traffic problems. Last year, there was a proposal for a number coding for private vehicles, and deployment of buses last October for stranded passengers under the Peak Hours Augmentation Bus System (PHABS). The city also opened the Coastal Road to ease traffic. Yet, traffic remains congested during peak hours.
City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) head Dionisio Abude confesses that they are trying stop-gap measures that do not do much to solve the fundamental issues of out-of-date road networks and inefficient public transportation.
The HPBS will deploy 1,100 units and will cost ₱73.4 billion of which the national government has committed to fund along with a $1 billion (₱55 billion) loan.
In response to complaints from the public on public transportation, Mayor Baste Duterte claimed the bus project was delayed due to the political feud between his family and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. But this was refuted by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Magno, as both assured the implementation and budget is on track.
What is causing problems is the acquisition of right of way for the construction of depots, bus terminals and a driving school, said Bautista during a Mindanao summit last October. This problem of acquiring the right of way that will affect 32 land owners needed funds. Bautista assured this will be addressed in the congressional budget.
This traffic problem has turned into an election issue. Mayoral candidate Karlo Nograles pointed out the need for a bus system to address commuting problems. Last month, the city government announced it will deploy ten buses by the fourth quarter this year to address commuting woes.
Whoever sits in the City Hall after the May 12 election is bound to face these problems as commuters await for solutions that will come in 2026. (davaotoday.com)
2025 Elections, davao city, traffic
