Bill legalizing ‘habal habal’ gets House Transportation Committee’s nod

Habal-habal drivers will be delighted to know that the move to legalize their operation is making progress in the House of Representatives.| CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Habal habal drivers have a reason to be hopeful that their motorcycle-for-hire operation will finally become a legal transport mode in the country.

The House Committee on Transporation has endorsed the proposed measure  authored by Cebu City North District Representative Raul del Mar that would require the Department of Transportation (DOTr) order the legalization of habal habal, or motorcycles for hire.

This development by announced today by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in a post on his Facebook page.

“Legalization of habal-habal approved by the House Committee on Transportation. This is a big step forward. Great news from Congressman Raul Del Mar,” Osmeña said on Facebook.

Del Mar penned House Bill No. 6049,  which seeks to legalize habal-habals as a mode of transportation.

Now that it been approved by the House Committee on Transportation,  HB 6049 will be calendared for discussion in in the Lower House.

HB 6049 is  co-authored by Cebu City South District Representative Rodrigo ‘Bebot’ Abellanosa, who, like Del Mar, are political allies of  Osmeña under the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

The mayor attended a public hearing on HB 6049 before the House transportation commitee on January 14, where he stressed that the habal habal transport mode has long answered a felt need of the riding public, particularly those living in mountain villages and in remote areas, including those in Cebu City, that are accessible only to  motorcycles./elb