Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes on Saturday defended the agency’s implementation of the No-Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), downplaying claims that the program is a major revenue source for the agency.

In a dialogue with transport stakeholders, Artes explained that funds collected from NCAP comprise only a small portion of the MMDA’s overall budget.

“If we look at the entire MMDA budget, the percentage we get from NCAP is relatively small,” Artes said in Filipino.

“It’s not something we celebrate or say, ‘Hey, we’re earning a lot and can now launch big projects because of this.’ That’s not the case at all,” he added.

He emphasized that the NCAP is intended to promote traffic discipline and is aligned with the broader governance agenda of the President.

“This is a policy under President Ferdinand Marcos’ administration, and MMDA is fully supporting that. In fact, your leadership has been coordinating closely with our office,” he added.

Artes also addressed questions regarding the implementation of number coding exemptions for Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) units, which have at times been flagged by traffic enforcers despite being exempt.

“TNVS units are exempt from number coding, so the question is what basis we use to identify them,” Artes said. “We’re already coordinating with your leadership. There’s a list of TNVS vehicles that will be submitted to us, and we will verify it with the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board).”

To help traffic enforcers identify exempt vehicles, the MMDA will issue stickers for verified TNVS units.

“There will be a sticker for each unit, so manual enforcers will know if it’s really TNVS. But even without it, drivers can show their franchise documents, especially those indicating exemption from coding,” he said.

“This isn’t really a problem with motorcycles since all motorcycles are exempt from number coding anyway.”

The agency continues to face pushback from some motorists and transport groups over NCAP’s fairness and implementation.

While acknowledging the criticism, Artes reiterated that the MMDA is committed to reviewing the policy and ensuring it serves the public interest.