The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that vehicles transporting food and agricultural products will be exempt from toll fees on all expressways starting April 20, as part of government efforts to keep food prices affordable amid the ongoing oil crisis.

The toll exemption, initially set to run for one month, may be extended depending on the outcome of an inter-agency review.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni "Banoy" Lopez said the policy was agreed upon by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and major toll concessionaires to support truckers, farmers, and the agriculture industry by ensuring the unhampered movement of essential goods.

“Ang utos sa atin ng pangulo, dapat tuloy-tuloy ang pag-transport ng pagkain para matiyak na stable ang presyo ng pangunahing pagkain at masiguro na abot-kaya pa rin ito para sa ating mga kababayan,” Lopez said.

The move aims to further support supply chain efficiency and stabilize food prices nationwide.

Under the program, all vehicles transporting food and agricultural products must be accredited by the DA and equipped with an RFID sticker to qualify for toll exemption.

According to the DOTr, eligible vehicles are expected to save between P600 and P1,800 per trip, depending on their classification. The corresponding rebates will be credited to their RFID accounts on a weekly basis.

The agency emphasized that the measure is designed to maintain a steady food supply chain and cushion the impact of rising fuel costs on food prices.

The toll exemption will be subject to review and possible extension after one month, based on the assessment of the DA, DOTr, TRB, and toll operators.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has rolled out a complementary initiative by reducing roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) fees to P1 for vehicles carrying raw and unprocessed agricultural products.