City authorities are moving to tighten road safety enforcement, with police preparing to implement an ordinance requiring motorcyclists and their backriders to wear standard helmets while a separate measure to regulate motorcycle-for-hire operations inches closer to passage.
Tagbilaran City Police Station (TCPS) chief Lt. Col. Joey Bicoy said his office will first conduct an information drive before fully implementing the helmet ordinance, during which officers will educate the public on what constitutes a standard helmet and how to wear it properly.
The city ordinance, authored by former councilor Eliezer “Ondoy” Borja and passed in 2025, empowers police to issue citations against motorcycle riders and backriders found not wearing helmets bearing the Philippine Standard mark or an Import Commodity Clearance issued by the Bureau of Product Standards.
Violators face fines of up to P5,000, subject to court discretion.
The ordinance is aligned with Republic Act No. 10054, or the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009, which mandates protective headgear for motorcyclists to reduce the risk of severe injuries in road crashes.
The enforcement push comes as traffic-related incidents in the city continue to climb.
TCPS data showed that 153 traffic-related incidents (TRI) were recorded in the first quarter of 2026 — a 23-percent increase from the 124 logged in all of 2025.
Motorcycles figured in most of the reported incidents.
March 2026 registered the highest monthly count with 19 incidents, followed by February with 17.
While no fatalities were recorded in the first quarter of 2026, physical injuries and damage to property remain the dominant outcomes.
In 2025, 94 of the 124 incidents resulted in property damage, 29 caused physical injuries, and one was classified as homicide.
Bicoy urged motorists to strictly observe traffic rules to help curb the rising trend.
The figures mirror a worsening national picture.
Among road crash fatalities in the Philippines, seven out of 10 deaths involved motorcycle riders, six of whom were not wearing helmets, according to the Department of Health.
Holiday season road injury cases in 2025 surged 82 percent compared to the same period in 2024, with motorcycles accounting for 71 percent of recorded incidents.
The Philippine Statistics Authority noted that deaths from land transport accidents reached 13,125 in 2023, the highest in over a decade.
On the legislative front, the Tagbilaran Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is set to formally engage the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) as it works toward regulating the city’s growing motorcycle-for-hire, or habal-habal, sector.
Councilor Fausto Budlong, chairman of the SP’s Committee on Peace, Order and Public Safety, said the panel will seek technical guidance from the LTFRB to ensure any local ordinance on motorcycle-for-hire operations is harmonized with national transport regulations.
He said another round of public consultations will be held following a committee hearing on May 22, 2026, where complaints of safety lapses, overcharging, and regulatory non-compliance by habal-habal operators were raised.
The proposed ordinance has been approved on first reading.
Budlong said the LTFRB will be formally invited to provide inputs and clarify regulatory standards as the industry continues to expand.
The proposed measure seeks stricter penalties against erring operators to safeguard commuters.
Road safety was likewise the centerpiece of a meeting on May 25 between Gov. Aris Aumentado and new Land Transportation Office (LTO) Regional Director Wendel Dinglasan in Tagbilaran City.
The two officials discussed the deployment of additional LTO enforcers in Bohol to ensure compliance with vehicle registration requirements and other transport regulations.
Aumentado asked the LTO to allow motorists additional time to comply before strict enforcement begins, and urged the agency to coordinate closely with local government units for a seamless rollout.
Dinglasan said the LTO-Central Visayas intends to expand its enforcement presence across the province.
The LTO has previously conducted operations in Bohol targeting motorists lacking proper documentation or found in violation of road safety regulations.