LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The Benguet Provincial Board has approved La Trinidad Municipal Ordinance No. 17-2026, which regulates the entry and operation of excavation and hauling vehicles, as well as heavy equipment traveling along public roads.

The ordinance aims to protect road infrastructure and the environment, ensure motorist and public safety, and improve the management of construction-related transport operations.

While recognizing the role of excavation and hauling vehicles in infrastructure development, local officials noted that these vehicles often damage roads and create public hazards by dropping sand, mud, rocks, and other construction debris along thoroughfares.

The history of unregulated entry and operation of excavation and hauling vehicles in Benguet centers on illegal small-scale mining, unpermitted real estate developments, and overloaded cargo fleets operating without municipal clearances. Unsanctioned excavations stripped mountain slopes, causing immediate mud and water runoff into residential valleys, while dislodged earth washed downward and choked primary drainage channels. Heavy trucks shifting weight over vulnerable, bored terrain triggered localized land subsidence, artificial sinkholes, and accelerated landslides when heavy rains combined with stripped soil matrices. These uncontrolled operations devastated local mountain ecosystems, altered natural waterways, and increased environmental hazards across vulnerable highland communities.

Overloaded hauling trucks severely damaged local infrastructure by cracking asphalt and causing massive road cuts along narrow highways. Heavy vehicles leaving excavation sites without proper canvas coverings or wheel washes tracked loose rocks and slick mud across provincial roads, creating dangerous hazards for regular traffic. Frequent breakdowns of massive, unregistered heavy equipment blocked narrow mountain passes and gridlocked essential transport routes. Such blockages prevented emergency response teams from reaching affected areas during critical weather events, compromising public safety and halting vital services throughout the province.

The new measure establishes operational guidelines to maintain road safety and environmental cleanliness. It specifies the legal responsibilities of vehicle operators and sets penalties for violations.

Prior to approval, the Provincial Board reviewed the ordinance alongside the Provincial Legal Office. Legal examiners confirmed that the local measure complies with the Philippine Constitution, the Local Government Code of 1991, and existing statutory laws.