Lawmakers eyes abolition of toll collection in Baguio-Bontoc Halsema Highway

Representatives Maximo Dalog Jr. of Mountain Province and Eric Yap of Benguet is eyeing to terminate the collection of toll fees along the portion of the Baguio-Bontoc Halsema Highway.

The lawmakers cited in the explanatory note for House Bill (HB) 1048 that only the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), in the entire Philippine Archipelago, has a national toll road that has three toll gates.

Referring to the Baguio-Bontoc Halsema Highway-Kennon National Toll Road, Dalog and Yap noted that per Executive Order (EO) 34, Series of 1954, and with the passage of Republic Act (RA) 8794 (otherwise known as “An Act Imposing a Major Vehicle User’s Charge on Owners of All Types of Motor Vehicles and for Other Purposes”), motorists passing through the abovementioned tollway are “technically being charged twice.”

Those using the toll road, according to the lawmakers, are mostly farmers from Benguet and Mountain Province transporting their agricultural products to the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post, or directly to Metro Manila.

Should HB 1048, be enacted into law, the Baguio-Bontoc Halsema Highway National Toll Road will be abolished and the collection of toll fees on the said tollway will be terminated.

Photo from Congressman Eric Yap - Benguet Facebook page

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