Baguio enforces 6-year-old speed limit law as road crashes rise

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Baguio ordinance sets a 20-kph limit on barangay roads, alleys, interior roads, the central business district, and major roads. A 30-kph cap applies to other inner roads.

MANILA, Philippines – The local government is now clamping down on speed. 

For years, a city ordinance on speed limits sat mostly unused, while traffic volume surged and enforcement lagged. Now, with the numbers climbing and the local officials’ tolerance thinning, the city government said it’s ready to put muscle behind the city law. 

Local officials have announced they will finally enforce a six-year-old ordinance designed to rein in reckless driving and blunt the increase in road crashes that has plagued Baguio City roads.

Between January 1 and May 29, the Baguio City Police Office logged 377 vehicular incidents – including eight fatalities, an increase of more than 20% compared to the 313 cases during the same period in 2024. 

Baguio City’s Ordinance No. 18, passed in 2019, caps speeds at 20 kilometers per hour on barangay roads, alleys, interior roads, and the central business district and major roads. A 30-kph limit will be enforced on all inner roads, unless otherwise indicated by signage. 

“This is to underscore the city’s commitment to public safety and the prevention of traffic-related injuries and fatalities. Motorists are strongly urged to comply with these speed limits at all times. Let us work together to keep Baguio’s roads safe for everyone,” Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong said. 

Magalong told Rappler, “The 20-30 kph is an existing ordinance but not properly enforced. We will strictly enforce it this time.” The city ordinance was passed during the administration of then-mayor Mauricio Domogan.

He pointed out inconsistencies in speed limit signs along national roads, such as the 60 kph signs installed by the Department of Public Works and Highways, and said these would now be corrected. 

Under the setup, the city law would be enforced by the Baguio police, city hall’s Public Order and Safety Division, and the City Engineering Office’s Traffic Division. 

Magalong said enforcement has begun, but the full implementation will be phased in as resources become available. The city government, he said, is still in the process of buying speed monitoring equipment, including speed guns and sensors. 

In the meantime, road signs are being updated and teams have been deployed for initial monitoring and public awareness, he said. 

Based on the ordinance, first-time violators face a P500 fine and a mandatory road safety seminar, with penalties rising to P2,000 plus community service for a second offense, and P2,500, vehicle impoundment, and possible 30-day imprisonment for repeat violations. 

Baguio police strategy management team head Colonel Judy Jasmine Palicos told a news conference on Wednesday, June 3, that authorities have launched Oplan DRIVE – short for discipline, respect, infrastructure, vigilance, and education – a comprehensive strategy to address the city’s rising number of vehicular traffic incidents. 

“We are encouraging the participation of all partner agencies, partner stakeholders in the community, because we see it as a shared responsibility,” she said. – Rappler.com