THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) said it is looking into adding decibel requirements to its campaign against loud motorcycle pipes.
Dionisio Abude, chief of CTTMO, revealed that a committee hearing has been conducted by the committees on peace and security, as well as transportation and communication, regarding the proposal to include decibel requirements in the provisions of the Comprehensive Traffic Code of Davao City.
Abude added that he would back the move to include a decibel requirement, provided that the rating would be based on how loud the vehicle’s original muffler is.
“Mao na gusto nato naay amendment kung kana ang gipanghingusgan sa mga riders na mugamit gyud og decibel (That is why we want that there should be an amendment if that is what the riders are pushing for — to really allow the use of decibels (loud exhausts),” he said in a media interview on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Rogen Inn.
Abude said that the city’s operations against modified mufflers are stipulated under Section 182 (Modified Muffler on Motorcycle) of the Comprehensive Traffic Code of Davao City.
He explained that the provision prohibits an individual from driving a single motorcycle or a motorcycle with a sidecar that has a modified muffler.
A modified muffler refers to an altered muffler or when the original muffler has been replaced with a louder version.
Under the traffic code, vehicles found to have violated the provision by using a modified muffler will be impounded by the office, and the owner will be penalized with P500.
Abude said that owners can retrieve their vehicles only after replacing the modified muffler with the original muffler and paying the penalty.
The official added that under national law, modified mufflers that do not meet the standards set by vehicle manufacturers are prohibited.
On January 13, 2026, a total of 296 modified mufflers, also known as “bora-bora,” were destroyed by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO). These were confiscated from September 2025 to the first week of January 2026.RGP