NAGA CITY, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is stepping up preparations to assist motorists as thousands of devotees and visitors are expected to travel through Bicol for the 2026 Peñafrancia Festival.
The annual religious and cultural celebration draws large crowds to Naga City and surrounding areas, putting additional pressure on the region’s major highways and transportation routes.
DPWH’s “Lakbay Alalay” program provides roadside assistance during periods when travel volume is expected to surge. Personnel can be deployed at strategic locations to help motorists experiencing vehicle problems and to respond to road-related emergencies.
DPWH prepares for heavy travel
The latest 2026 record available from DPWH Region V shows the scale of the agency’s roadside-assistance operations.
During Holy Week, DPWH-5 deployed more than 600 personnel across 24 Motorist Assistance Centers throughout Bicol. The centers were positioned along strategic routes to provide assistance to motorists during the travel surge.
The operation demonstrates the agency’s continuing use of the Lakbay Alalay system during major periods of increased traffic.
DPWH has previously activated dedicated Motorist Assistance Centers for the Peñafrancia festivities. In an earlier Peñafrancia deployment, 13 centers were established at strategic locations across Bicol, staffed by engineers, mechanics, equipment operators and maintenance personnel. The teams provided free roadside emergency assistance and were supported by roving units.
Naga braces for traffic and massive crowds
The need for additional road assistance comes as Naga City prepares for this year’s Peñafrancia celebrations.
The city government has already announced temporary suspensions of classes and government work on several dates in September to help manage the expected movement of vehicles and pedestrians during major festival activities.
Naga Mayor Maria Leonor Robredo issued Executive Order 044, series of 2026, citing road closures, increased pedestrian activity and the need to maintain public safety and traffic order.
The measures are particularly important during the festival’s major religious activities, when streets in and around Naga can experience significant congestion.
What motorists can expect
Motorist assistance operations are designed to provide help when vehicles break down or travelers encounter problems along national roads.
Depending on the deployment, DPWH teams may include:
- Engineers and maintenance personnel
- Automotive mechanics
- Equipment operators
- Road maintenance crews
- Roving response teams
The program is also normally coordinated with other government agencies and local authorities to improve traffic management and emergency response.
DPWH’s previous Lakbay Alalay operations have been conducted in coordination with the Philippine National Police, Land Transportation Office and local government units, allowing roadside assistance to operate alongside traffic and public-safety measures.
More than roadside repairs
The DPWH assistance program is only one part of the preparations for the festival.
The sheer volume of travelers means authorities must simultaneously address traffic congestion, road safety, pedestrian movement and emergency response.
Naga’s 2026 preparations reflect that broader approach, with the city government using temporary work and class suspensions as one way of reducing congestion during the busiest festival activities.
Meanwhile, DPWH’s experience during Holy Week shows that the agency can mobilize hundreds of personnel and dozens of assistance points when travel demand rises sharply.
A critical test for Bicol’s roads
The Peñafrancia Festival is more than a religious event—it is also one of the region’s biggest annual movements of people.
For motorists, the availability of roadside assistance can make a major difference when a vehicle breaks down far from home or when traffic conditions become difficult.
But roadside assistance cannot solve congestion by itself.
With thousands of devotees and visitors converging on Naga, the effectiveness of the festival preparations will ultimately depend on how well DPWH, local governments, police, transport authorities and motorists coordinate on the ground.
And as the crowds begin arriving, one question will dominate the roads of Bicol:
Will the region’s traffic and emergency-response preparations be enough when Peñafrancia travel reaches its peak?
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