MANILA – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Benhur Abalos met with officials of the Union of Local Authorities of Philippines (ULAP) to discuss national and local cooperation in implementing Executive Order (EO) 41 of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the prohibition on collection of pass-through fees.
EO 41 issued last week urges local government units (LGUs) to suspend the collection of any form of fees upon all types of vehicles transporting goods under Section 153 or 155 of Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.
Such fees include sticker fees, discharging fees, delivery fees, market fees, toll fees, entry fees, or Mayor's Permit fees that are imposed upon all motor vehicles transporting goods and passing through any local public roads built and funded by said LGUs.
In his meeting with ULAP national president Governor Dax Cua and other league officials on Friday, Abalos urged them to encourage their member leagues and respective constituent LGUs to pass resolutions of support for EO 41, expressing their commitment to align their actions with the objectives of the EO.
“The DILG recognizes that LGUs are essential partners of the national government in achieving national development goals. We, therefore, urge ULAP to mobilize support for EO 41 to facilitate the seamless flow of goods and services throughout the country,” he said.
Cua expressed ULAP’s full commitment to the objectives of EO 41 by passing a resolution calling upon all LGUs to immediately comply with the said directive.
The ULAP national president said he will also ask all LGUs to adhere to the order and enact local ordinances suspending or discontinuing the collection of such fees within their respective jurisdictions.
Cua said ULAP will foster close collaboration with DILG and other relevant agencies to ensure the effective enforcement of the moratorium on pass-through fees. (With a report from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
