MANILA, Philippines — A new proposal in the House of Representatives is seeking to tackle one of the Philippines’ most persistent problems: a transportation system that leaves millions of commuters battling traffic, long queues, overcrowded public vehicles and unreliable travel times every day.
House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has filed House Bill No. 11190, which seeks to create a Congressional Commission on Mobility tasked with reviewing and evaluating the state of mobility in the Philippines and recommending targeted policy reforms.
The measure was filed on September 8, 2026, according to the official records of the House of Representatives. It remains pending first reading, meaning the proposal is still at the initial stage of the legislative process and has not yet become law.
De Lima: Mobility crisis goes beyond traffic
De Lima has argued that the country’s mobility problems should not be treated simply as individual traffic or transportation issues.
In remarks accompanying her push for a mobility commission, she described the crisis as a governance problem involving government agencies whose responsibilities over transportation and mobility are often fragmented.
Her proposed commission, which she has referred to as the Congressional Commission on Road Mobility or MobiComm, is envisioned as a mechanism for bringing together the different government institutions involved in transportation policy and establishing a more coordinated direction.
The proposal comes as commuters continue to face familiar problems: inadequate public transportation, congestion, crowded trains and buses, long waits at terminals and limited transportation choices in many areas.
What the proposed commission would do
The official title of HB 11190 says the commission would be created to review, assess and evaluate the state of mobility in the Philippines and recommend innovative and targeted policy reforms.
In practical terms, the proposal seeks to put mobility issues under a broader policy lens rather than addressing individual problems one agency or transport mode at a time.
That could include examining how roads, public transportation, traffic management, commuter services and other components of the country’s mobility system interact.
However, the bill is still at the beginning of the legislative process. Any specific powers, structure, funding mechanisms and recommendations contained in the proposal would still have to undergo congressional scrutiny and could be amended as the measure moves through the legislative process.
De Lima’s proposal comes amid renewed transport concerns
The timing of the proposal comes amid continuing public concern over the reliability and capacity of the country’s transportation network.
Recent incidents have again highlighted how disruptions can quickly create widespread mobility problems. Flooding along the North Luzon Expressway, for example, recently resulted in severe traffic disruptions and stranded motorists, prompting government agencies and expressway authorities to coordinate on traffic information, alternative routes and possible measures to prevent similar disruptions.
Beyond isolated incidents, transportation analysts and advocates have long pointed to deeper structural problems, including congestion, insufficient transport capacity and gaps in public transportation.
A 2025 analysis published by the Manila Bulletin described how the country’s transport infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with rapidly growing vehicle demand, leaving commuters in Metro Manila and other urban centers spending significant amounts of time traveling.
This is not the first mobility commission proposal
An important detail is that De Lima’s proposal is not the only bill in the current Congress seeking to establish a congressional body focused on mobility.
House Bill No. 9862, filed on June 15, 2026, also seeks to create a Congressional Commission on Road Mobility with essentially the same broad objective: reviewing the country’s mobility situation and recommending policy reforms.
HB 9862 was principally authored by Reps. Percival Cendaña, Chel Diokno, Dadah Kiram Ismula and Kaka Bag-Ao. It was read on July 28 and is currently pending with the House Committee on Transportation.
The existence of both proposals underscores the growing legislative attention being given to mobility as a national policy concern.
Other transport reforms are also pending
The House is simultaneously considering other measures addressing specific transportation problems.
For example, HB 9417, also authored by De Lima, seeks to recognize and regulate motorcycles as public utility vehicles. The measure was filed on May 26, 2026, read on June 1 and remains pending with the House Committee on Transportation.
Another proposed measure, HB 11003, seeks to restructure the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge and establish a motor vehicle road user’s tax. It was filed on August 27 and is also pending before the House Committee on Transportation.
These proposals point to a broader debate in Congress over how the Philippines should finance, regulate and manage transportation as the country’s cities continue to grow.
What happens next?
For now, HB 11190 remains a proposal.
It must go through the legislative process, including committee consideration and deliberations, before it could potentially reach the plenary for voting. The measure could also be amended substantially during congressional debates.
What makes the proposal significant, however, is its attempt to look beyond individual traffic jams or isolated transport failures and examine the country’s mobility system as a whole.
For millions of Filipinos who spend hours commuting every week, the bigger question is whether another congressional initiative can translate into concrete improvements on the ground.
The proposed commission may offer a new framework for addressing the country’s mobility problems—but its real test will ultimately be whether it can help deliver safer, faster, more reliable and more accessible transportation for ordinary Filipinos.
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