Chairman Romando Artes of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Saturday defended the agency’s implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), downplaying claims that the program serves as a major revenue source for the agency.
Artes in a dialogue with transport stakeholders, explained that funds collected from NCAP form only a small part 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," said Artes.
He emphasized that the NCAP is intended to promote traffic discipline and is fully aligned with the broader governance agenda of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“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.
The MMDA chief 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.”
Artes said to help traffic enforcers distinguish exempted 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 explained. “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 the NCAP’s fairness and implementation. Artes, while acknowledging the criticism, reiterated that the agency is committed to reviewing the policy and ensuring it serves the public interest.