Speed limits in the Philippines are specified in Republic Act No. 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines, which took effect on its approval on June 20, 1964. The act covers a number of areas other areas than speed limits, and was amended regarding some of those areas by Republic Act No. 10930, which was approved on August 2, 2017. As of 2024, RA 4136 is listed as current by the

Land Transportation Office The Land Transportation Office ( fil, Tanggapan ng Transportasyong-Lupa; LTO) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Transportation responsible for all land transportation in the Philippines. Functions of the LTO inc ...

. Speed limits covered in the act apply to motor vehicles when mainly traversing national roads, but lower speed limits may be specified on provincial and local roads in the interest of road safety and design speed, but not exceeding that of RA 4136. Roads within private property are not subject to the speed limits of RA 4136. Nonwithstanding the above, the generally applied maximum speed limits are on most city or municipal roads, on most highways, and on most expressways. The speed limit sign is a red circle with numbers inside as in most countries including Japan,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

and

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Historic speed limits

Act No. 2159

Speed restrictions for motor vehicles were first defined during the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands in Act No. 2159, the first formal law on land transportation, which passed by the

3rd Philippine Legislature The Third Philippine Legislature was the meeting of the legislature of the Philippines under the sovereign control of the United States from October 16, 1912, to February 24, 1916. Sessions *First Regular Session: October 16, 1912– February 3, ...

on February 5, 1912. Under this act, it was prohibited for a motor vehicle to be operated "recklessly" or at a speed that may inflict damage to property or the safety or rights of people relative to current road conditions.

Act No. 2389

On February 27, 1914, Act No. 2389 was passed into law, providing amendments to Act No. 2159. These amendments added maximum speed limits for all motor vehicles in certain road conditions and areas, specifically when traversing town roads, at

blind corner ''Blind Corner'' (U.S. ''Man in the Dark'') is a 1964 British thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring William Sylvester and Barbara Shelley. It also features popular singer of the time Ronnie Carroll playing himself. The film ...

s, and intersections. Under the amendments in Act No. 2389, a driver will be considered as driving at a "speed greater than is reasonable and proper" for: * Crossing a street railway at a speed greater than * Driving within a city or ''

poblacion ''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippine city or municipality, which may take up the ...

'' at a speed greater than * Driving faster than when visibility is obscured at curves, intersections, or meeting other vehicles or conveyances * Driving faster than when a

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

car is stationary or about to stop on the side of the driver of the motor vehicle

Act No. 2587

On February 3, 1916, Act No. 2587 added more amendments to Act No. 2159, adding maximum speed limits for motor vehicles based on the

gross vehicle weight Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity. Curb or kerb weight Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...

and the material of the

tire A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

s used.

Act No. 3045

On March 9, 1922, Act No. 3045 added maximum speed limits for motor vehicles with pneumatic tires and increased the speed limits provided in previous acts. Under the amendments in Act No. 3045, a driver will be considered as driving at a "speed greater than is reasonable and proper" for: * Crossing a street railway at a speed greater than * Driving within a city or ''poblacion'' at a speed greater than * Driving faster than when visibility is obscured at curves, intersections, or meeting other vehicles or conveyances * Driving faster than when a tram car is stationary or about to stop on the side of the driver of the motor vehicle

Act No. 3992

On December 2, 1932, Act No. 3992 changed maximum speed limits to be based on road conditions and the type of motor vehicle and adds exemptions for emergency vehicles and certain government vehicles. These speed limits would serve as the basis for the current speed limits in RA 4136, which repeals this act. The act also prohibits the failure of an automobile or motorcycle operator to come to a full stop within but not less than from a road intersection or

railroad crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term also ...

. The exception to this is if no hazard exists, a driver is allowed to pass at a maximum speed of .

Current speed limits

The current speed limits for motor vehicles are provided by Republic Act No. 4136, passed by the 17th Congress of the Philippines on June 20, 1964, which consolidates and repeals all previous acts into a unified

traffic code Traffic codes are laws that generally include provisions relating to the establishment of authority and enforcement procedures, statement of the rules of the road, and other safety provisions. Administrative regulations for driver licensing, vehi ...

. RA 4136 states that any person driving a motor vehicle on a highway shall: * Drive at a "careful and prudent speed" not greater nor less than is "reasonable and proper" with due regard for the traffic, the width of the highway, and of any other existing and prior conditions * No person shall drive any motor vehicle at such a speed as to endanger the life, limb and property of any person, nor at a speed greater than will permit him to bring the vehicle to a stop within an assured clear distance ahead. Based on the above provisions, RA 4136 defines maximum allowed speed limits, which apply to all motor vehicles on public highways, including cars,

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public transportation, public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their ...

s, and

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

s. All public

thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highwa ...

boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway. Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In American usage, boulevards may ...

driveway A driveway (also called ''drive'' in UK English) is a type of private road for local access to one or a small group of structures, and is owned and maintained by an individual or group. Driveways rarely have traffic lights, but some that bear ...

avenue Avenue or Avenues may refer to: Roads * Avenue (landscape), traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees, in the shifted sense a tree line itself, or some of boulevards (also without trees) * Avenue Road, Bangalore * Avenue Road, ...

s, parks, and

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane ...

s are defined as "public highways" under this act. As such, speed limits do not apply to corridors within private property.

Local speed limits

RA 4136 states that no provincial, city, or municipal authority is allowed to enact or enforce any ordinance or resolution that changes the maximum allowed speed limits in the act. However, this is superseded by the DOTr-DPWH-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular 2018-001, which encourages all

Local Government Units Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

(LGUs) to enact and enforce local speed limit ordinances and to define speed limits according to local conditions. On national roads, speed limits must follow the recommended design speed of the road topography based on DPWH guidelines and standards. On provincial and local roads, LGUs may designate their own speed limits subject to the approval of the DOTr. In the interest of

road safety Road traffic safety refers to the methods and measures used to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. Typical road users include pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, vehicle passengers, horse riders, and passengers of on-roa ...

, these speed limits may be lower than that in RA 4136 provided that they do not exceed the per road classification maximum speed limits of RA 4136.

Speed limits on expressways

Speed limits on all

limited-access highway A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

s or expressways in the Philippines are defined by Department of Public Works and Communications (DPWC) Administrative Order No. 1 signed on February 19, 1968. The order states that vehicles on expressways must be driven at a minimum speed limit of and a maximum speed limit of . However, this may vary between different expressways all around the country. The order also prohibits any vehicle or equipment that is incapable of traveling on expressways at the minimum speed limit from driving on the expressway. , the minimum and maximum speed limits on expressways are as follows: On May 18, 2023, Ilocos Sur 1st district representative

Ronald Singson Ronald Verzosa Singson (born November 18, 1968) is a Filipino politician, businessman and concert producer. A son of the patriarch of the Singson political clan Chavit Singson, he served as representative of Ilocos Sur's first district from 2013 ...

filed House Bill No. 4089, which proposes to increase the maximum speed limit on expressways from to . Under the proposal, buses and other large vehicles would have a speed limit of while other vehicles would have a speed limit of .

Speed limits on highways in Metro Manila

In Metro Manila, the

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA; fil, Pangasiwaan sa Pagpapaunlad ng Kalakhang Maynila) is a government agency of the Philippines responsible for constituting the regional government of Metro Manila, comprising the capital ...

(MMDA) defines a maximum speed limit on specific radial and circumferential roads that it has jurisdiction over, including Commonwealth Avenue and

Macapagal Boulevard Macapagal Boulevard, also known as President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard and Macapagal Avenue, is an eight-lane road in Metro Manila, Philippines, running parallel to Roxas Boulevard from the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pa ...

Enforcement

Enforcement of speed limits are low in the Philippines due to lack of awareness of the mandate set by RA 4136. To address this concern, DOTr, DPWH and

DILG The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...

issued a joint memorandum on January 17, 2018 addressed to LGUs regarding the implementation of RA 4136 and encouraging LGUs to adopt lower speed limits in a bid to reduce road crash fatalities and injuries nationwide. LGUs are enjoined to adopt guidelines on road classification, setting and enforcement of speed limits according to local settings, and the collection and analysis of road crash data. The United Nations Road Safety Fund has conducted training-of-trainers for law enforcement personnel who can then in turn train others in practical speed enforcement training.

References

Phili Road transportation in the Philippines {{Philippines-transport-stub