FACT CHECK: New Cabanatuan City fare matrix still a draft, ordinance not yet in force

Claim: The Cabanatuan City government in Nueva Ecija released an ordinance outlining a new tricycle fare matrix.

Rating: MISSING CONTEXT

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the Facebook post bearing the claim has 1,500 shares, 865 reactions, and 361 comments.

The post includes photos of a fare matrix with the caption, “New tricycle fare in Cabanatuan City.”

With the ongoing war in the Middle East affecting oil prices worldwide, the post sparked heated debate, with many social media users believing the fare matrix was already in force. Some commenters pointed out that the rates indicated in the post are not being followed by drivers already charging exorbitant rates.

Others sided with tricycle drivers and operators, with one writing, “Mura ba o mahal. Mabubuhay pa kaya ang mga tricycle drivers sa presyo na ‘yan.”

(Is it cheap or expensive? Can tricycle drivers survive at that price?)

The facts: The post shows a draft ordinance for the city’s proposed tricycle fare matrix and is not yet approved or implemented. 

In a Facebook message to Rappler, the city government’s Legalization Division confirmed that the photos in the post are only for the reference of the stakeholders who attended the public hearing held on March 31, 2026. 

“Yung nakapost po ay kopya lamang po ng draft ordinansa para sa pag update ng ating tricycle fare ngayon 2026. For reference po ng mga umattend na stakeholder nung public hearing last March 31, 2026, 2 pm sa CDRRM training center,” the division said.

(What was posted is just a copy of the draft ordinance for the update of our tricycle fare for 2026. It’s for the reference of the stakeholders who attended the public hearing last March 31, 2026, 2 pm at the [city disaster risk reduction and management] training center.)

The photos included in the post have a note that it is a “draft ordinance” intended as a copy for the attendees of the hearing.

The Legalization Division added, “It will still undergo the remaining legislative processes before the ordinance can be approved and implemented.”

Tricycle capital: Cabanatuan City is home to more than 30,000 tricycles and is dubbed the “Tricycle Capital of the Philippines.” On March 18, the Sangguaniang Panlungsod of Cabanatuan City posted an invitation to all stakeholders to participate in a public hearing on the proposed ordinance prescribing the new fare matrix for motorized tricycles-for-hire.

Student organizations such as the Araullo University Central Student Council and the Midway Student Council attended the public hearing. They were joined by the Liga Ng Mga Barangay members, tricycle operators, and other stakeholders.

It was in November 2018 when the tricycle fare rates were last adjusted, according to the City Legalization Division. – Owenh Toledo/Rappler.com
Owenh Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.