The first day of school after the typhoon revealed a disheartening truth: the potholes were still winning. Year after year, repair crews arrive and depart with the rainy season, yet the damage persists, a constant frustration for Filipino motorists.
We pay annual registration fees – the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge – with the promise of better, safer roads. But the reality feels like a cruel joke. Billions are collected, yet the roads remain riddled with hazards, raising a disturbing question: where is the money actually going?
The abolition of the Road Board in 2019, intended to curb corruption and streamline fund allocation to the DPWH and DoTr, offered a glimmer of hope. The goal was simple: efficiency and transparency. However, six years later, the mystery surrounding the MVUC funds deepens.
Despite decades of dedicated charges, dangerous roads remain commonplace. As of the end of 2023, billions of pesos still sat in special trust accounts, including a P34 billion appropriation for 2025. This isn’t a story of lost funds, but of funds left unused, a wasted opportunity to improve our infrastructure.
The situation is particularly alarming given pending legislation to *increase* MVUC rates, ostensibly to modernize public utility vehicles. How can the government justify asking for more money when it demonstrably struggles to effectively utilize the funds already collected?
A 2018 investigation revealed the Road Board’s failure, plagued by allegations of “apocalyptic corruption.” Abolishing it and transferring control to the DPWH and DoTr was meant to be a solution. Instead, the core problem – a lack of accountability – remained.
Currently, no independent body rigorously vets or monitors road projects funded by the MVUC. The system relies heavily on the agencies responsible for both designing *and* implementing these projects, creating a dangerous lack of internal checks and balances.
The experience with flood control projects under the DPWH underscores this critical flaw. We need a new approach, one that moves beyond simply shifting responsibility between flawed systems. A new, well-designed body is essential for overseeing MVUC funds and ensuring road safety.
Earmarked funds shouldn’t be solely controlled by a single department. A multi-stakeholder body, including representatives from local governments, transport experts, the private sector, and academia, is crucial for transparent and effective planning and allocation.
The current system centralized control around an opaque DPWH and DoTr without establishing a credible replacement for the Road Board. This has resulted in a missed opportunity to create a truly accountable and representative oversight mechanism.
Congress should prioritize the creation of a new Road Improvement and Safety Board *before* considering any increase in MVUC rates. This board should include diverse perspectives, ensuring that road users and affected sectors have a voice in the process.
This new body should be responsible for planning, prioritization, and approval of projects, setting clear performance indicators, and overseeing rigorous monitoring and evaluation. The DPWH, DoTr, and LGUs would then handle implementation.
We need stakeholders who are directly invested in road quality and safety, not just line agencies. This collaborative approach will foster a more equitable and effective system for planning and approving road improvements.
A thorough review of all MVUC-funded projects since 2019 is urgently needed. The DPWH and DoTr, alongside an independent counterpart, must account for every peso spent, detailing the outcomes achieved. These findings should be made public.
Only through this comprehensive review and the establishment of a robust governance structure can the government regain public trust. Motorists deserve to be treated as stakeholders, not simply as a source of revenue.
Only then, with a system built on transparency, accountability, and genuine collaboration, will we finally see the potholes lose the battle.
