Agri-truckers to save up to P152M from 1-month toll waiver — DA

Over a thousand vehicles transporting agricultural goods are expected to save more than P100 million in logistics costs following a government-negotiated one-month toll waiver aimed at easing inflationary pressures amid global fuel price shocks triggered by the Middle East crisis.

At a press briefing in Quezon City on Tuesday, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Agri-Industrial and Marine Systems Arrey Perez said the free toll assistance program is expected to benefit at least 4,000 registered agri-truckers.

The initiative, which runs from April 20 to May 20, is part of the DA’s Food Lane Program, covering around 20,000 trucks nationwide that regularly traverse tollways across Luzon.

Perez said only 1,462 agri-truckers currently hold valid accreditation.

For accredited agri-truckers, he said estimated monthly savings could range from P52 million to as high as P152 million.

To boost participation, Perez said the DA is streamlining registration and expanding on-site enrollment. He added that applications can be approved within the same day, with toll exemption activated within 24 hours.

The initiative integrates digital registration, quick response (QR)-coded accreditation, and radio frequency identification (RFID) enrollment to allow seamless verification across major tollways such as the North Luzon Expressway, South Luzon Expressway, and Skyway, helping reduce delays at checkpoints and toll plazas.

Perez said the program comes at no cost to the government and is part of a “whole-of-nation approach” to address fuel price shocks, with the private sector shouldering the cost of the toll waiver for agri-truckers.

The free toll program builds on the existing Food Lane Project, which previously provided toll rebates.

By shifting to full exemptions, the DA aims to further reduce logistics costs for farmers, traders, and food distributors while ensuring faster movement of essential goods across major expressways.

In a separate statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative is crucial in stabilizing food supply chains amid rising fuel risks.

“This is about keeping food moving when energy shocks threaten to slow everything down. Every delay in transport translates to higher costs and potential shortages. We cannot allow that,” Tiu Laurel said.

Priority rollout areas include major agricultural corridors in Luzon, particularly Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and the Cordillera, where large volumes of food products are transported daily to urban markets.—MCG, GMA News