Filipino commuters waste nearly 6 days a year stuck in traffic

The Philippines ranked worst in Asia for traffic congestion, according to the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index, which analyzes GPS data.

With an average congestion level of 66.2%, Davao City remained the most congested city in the country and ranked 4th among Asian cities and 12th out of 482 cities worldwide, according to the index. 

Aside from Davao City, Manila also made its presence felt in the congestion index, ranking 40th globally and 12th in Asia.

This translates to Filipino commuters losing nearly six days a year due to traffic congestion, Monday’s episode of “Unang Hirit” reports. 

The lost time in traffic congestion is worrying. According to a 2021 study by AltMobility and Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Metro Manila commuters spend 188 hours sitting in traffic per year — or roughly about 7 days — which costs a whopping P27.221 billion in losses to the economy based on average hourly salary in the capital region.

That's not mentioning the health costs that arise from air pollution caused by vehicle emissions. According to DENR data, 80% of air pollution in Metro Manila comes from vehicle emissions, while the United Nations Environment Programme says 40,000 deaths in the Philippines were caused by fine particle pollution (PM2.5) in 2021. 

In the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index, congestion level is defined as the average additional time (in percent) spent in traffic compared to free-flow conditions.

Having high congestion levels does not mean having the slowest average speed, the reported added.

“The congestion level of a city is based on the dynamic factors that affect its traffic flow. As explained above, congestion is recognized as the difference between free-flow or optimal traffic conditions and actual travel time,” it said. — Hermes Joy Tunac/LA, GMA Integrated News