IF WE are to truly make roads in Western Visayas – and elsewhere in the country – safer, we must stop treating symptoms and start confronting the deeper, systemic failures that make road tragedies an all-too-common occurrence. The Department of Transportation’s directive to implement mandatory drug testing for all public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers every 90 days has been welcomed by transport leaders in Western Visayas, including Iloilo. In the wake of deadly accidents that claimed several lives, the urgency to act is clear. But while drug testing is a necessary measure, it is far from sufficient.
Drug use among drivers is not the root problem — it is one manifestation of a much larger crisis: the chronic neglect of driver welfare, weak enforcement of transport policies, and a regulatory system more reactive than preventive. In Iloilo and across the region, cooperatives like the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) and associations such as the Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (ATOP) have long operated within a regulatory environment where implementation is inconsistent and support is lacking.
WVTC, for instance, has around 300 drivers and Passenger Assistance Officers (PAOs) in its modern jeepney fleet. It already conducts drug tests during hiring, but sustaining regular checks without logistical or financial assistance has been a challenge. Recently, a random drug test coordinated with PDEA and LTO led to the arrest of a drug-using driver — a result not of policy announcements, but of collaborative and sustained enforcement. This shows that what matters more than mandates is how they’re followed through on the ground.
But beyond drug testing, what about the long hours drivers work to earn a decent living? What about the poorly enforced vehicle maintenance standards that leave roadworthiness in question? What about the penalties that exist only on paper and the loopholes that transport operators and even regulators exploit? These are the unspoken realities that undermine road safety far more than any single driver’s drug use.
The truth is, the current system incentivizes risky behavior. When drivers are underpaid, overworked, and given little support or protection, the pressures they face are enormous. Some turn to drugs not for recreation, but as a misguided attempt to cope. If the government is truly serious about reform, then mandatory drug testing must be embedded in a comprehensive framework — one that improves working conditions, invests in transport infrastructure, ensures real-time enforcement of laws, and punishes not only violators but also enablers within regulatory agencies.
Announcements can win headlines. But lasting safety on the road can only be achieved through policy coherence, institutional integrity, and the political will to do more than just scratch the surface.
In Western Visayas, the will for reform exists. Transport leaders have spoken — they want clarity, sustainability, and sincerity. The ball is now in the government’s court. Will this be another piecemeal approach? Or the start of a deeper, more honest reckoning with our transport system’s failures?
If lives are truly on the line — as they always are on the road — we must aim higher than minimum compliance. We must aim for real reform.
