Senate President Win Gatchalian has introduced a new legislative measure aimed at accelerating the country’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) by introducing fresh incentives to reduce the Philippines’ dependency on foreign fuel imports.
The proposed Senate Bill No. 2270 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11697, widely known as the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA). Gatchalian previously authored and sponsored the original law.
“We need to break our economy’s dependence on foreign oil by accelerating the transport sector’s shift to EVs,” Gatchalian said.
Under the newly proposed amendments, electric vehicle owners would receive a variety of non-fiscal perks. These benefits include waived or discounted parking fees, toll-free access to specialized EV lanes on major expressways, and a convenient “buy now, register later” setup.
Additionally, the bill mandates that at least 20 percent of total parking spaces in dedicated lots be reserved exclusively for electric vehicles. This mandatory allocation is structured to increase by an additional five percent every five years.
Gatchalian emphasized that the expansion of these incentives is designed to shield the Philippine economy from volatile global oil price fluctuations while actively promoting cleaner, more sustainable transit alternatives.
However, the transition faces existing hurdles. The Department of Energy previously noted that lengthy delays in securing permit approvals have significantly slowed down the nationwide expansion of EV charging stations, presenting a major roadblock to widespread vehicle adoption.