Bumper-to-bumper traffic is being experienced by motorists along Osmeña Boulevard. CDN file photo. /Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has approved the creation of an office that would look solely on the welfare of motorcycle riders and motorcycle-for-hire drivers.
This is after the consolidated proposed ordinance of Councilors Pastor “Jun” Alcover, Jr. and Rey Gealon, was approved by the City Council on its third and final reading during the regular session on Wednesday, July 17.
In their rationale, it stated that “there is a need to create an office on the aforesaid sector in order to consolidate and organize various organizations, associations, or aggrupation of motorcycle-for-hire riders and motorcycle riders for efficient and orderly delivery of benefits or programs that maybe given to them by the Cebu City Government.”
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Alcover said the creation of an office for motorcycle riders is “parallel” to suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s executive order (EO) No. 8, series of 2023 which created the ‘Cebu City Habal-habal Drivers’ Coordinating Office (CCHCO)’ but with a distinction.
“To distinguish with the executive order, the main feature of our consolidated proposed ordinance is the distinction between motorcycle-for-hire riders and motorcycle riders. Also we put emphasis on the welfare of our motorcycle riders,” Alcover said.
In Section 3 (a) of the proposed ordinance, Alcover and Gealon defined motorcycle-for-hire riders as the colloquial word for “habal-habal” rider and commonly accepted among layperson as a form of public transportation in the upland barangays and some urban barangays in the city.
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Meanwhile, the councilors defined motorcycle rider as an “individual who is not included in the definition under Section 3 (a) and a verified resident and registered voter of Cebu City who possesses driver’s license duly issued by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and/or a registered owner of a motorcycle with the LTO.”
The office for motorcycle riders will be called Motorcycle-for-Hire Riders and Motorcycle Riders Coordinating and Welfare Office (MMCWO) or the City Ordinance No. 2747.
Moreover, should the proposed ordinance approved by the city mayor, among the functions that the MMCWO will have include consolidating database for the accredited motorcycle-for-hire riders, creating linkages with various motorcycle-for-hire riders’ associations, organizations, or aggrupation and motorcycle riders’ associations, organizations, or aggrupation, and implementing programs for the welfare of motorcycle-for-hire riders or motorcycle riders.
The council approved the proposed creation of an office for motorcycle riders with minor amendments in the Section 4 as suggested by Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera to include an organizational structure and functional chart for the composition of MMCWO.