President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to study higher insurance coverage for private vehicles to boost public safety and aid road accident victims after the back-to-back fatal vehicular accidents that killed more than 10 people.

President Marcos issued the directive after the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), raised the idea of aligning private vehicle insurance with the coverage given to public utility vehicles under the Passenger Personal Accident Insurance (PPAI) program.

“Ipinag-utos na po ng Pangulo kay DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon na pag-aralan pong mabuti ang proposal tungkol sa higher insurance coverage para po sa PUVs,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

“Ito po ay para sa karagdagang proteksyon para sa lahat ng maaaring mabiktima ng negligence o aksidente sa kalsada,” Castro said during a press briefing in Malacañang.

The current PPAI policy provides up to PhP400,000 in insurance coverage per fatality and PhP100,000 for injuries involving PUV passengers.

In contrast, private vehicle passengers are only entitled to a total of PhP200,000—regardless of the number of victims—under the Compulsory Third Party Liability (CTPL), the mandatory insurance coverage for all private vehicles in the country.

ALTODAP’s call was made following the back-to-back fatal vehicular accidents that happened along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, where 10 people died, and at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, where two others perished, including a five-year-old girl.

Castro said the transportation department will carefully assess the proposal’s urgency and importance to protect the public better.

“Pinag-aaralan po itong mabuti kung ito ba’y nararapat at ito po ba ay napapanahon,” Castro said. | PND