MANILA, Philippines – Three Philippine cities are among the top areas with the worst traffic congestion in the world.

The TomTom traffic index evaluated 500 cities in 62 countries according to travel time and congestion level in metro areas and city centers. Traffic in Davao — the largest city in the Philippines — is now worse than Metro Manila, according to the 2024 TomTom traffic index.

Davao’s metro area ranked 10th with the worst traffic in the world, Manila placed 15th, and Caloocan was 18th.

Based on city centers, Davao was 8th in the world with the worst traffic in its densest area, Manila at 14th, and Caloocan placed 26th.

Find the full TomTom Traffic Index ranking here.

Worst in the country

Across metrics — average travel time, congestion level, wasted time on traffic — Davao has outranked Manila, making it the worst city in the Philippines for those spending time on the road.

Commuters spend about 107 to 136 hours in traffic during rush hours, depending on whether they are in the metropolitan area of Davao or within the city center.

That’s about 5 days and 16 hours wasted every year for Davaoeños and those frequenting the city.

Globally, Davao City ranks third after Lima in Peru and Dublin, Ireland where people usually lose 150 hours or “almost a week’s worth” in traffic every year.

The average travel time in Davao City takes about half an hour for every 10 kilometers. Meanwhile, driving the same distance in Brescia City in Italy only takes 8 minutes and 26 seconds.

The index also ranked Davao as the 8th slowest city in the world.

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Slow travel time

All three Philippine cities — Davao, Manila, and Caloocan — have congestion levels over 40%. This represents how much longer driving takes from one distance to the other due to excess or bumper-to-bumper traffic.

In Davao City, traveling 10 kilometers during rush hour takes 35 minutes and 19 seconds (or about 17 kilometers per hour) in the morning. This gets a bit worse in the evening — especially around 4 pm to 7 pm — with drivers taking 45 minutes and 1 second to cover the same distance, driving at a slower pace of 13.3 kilometers per hour.

TomTom index’ report shows that it should only take about 21 to 24 minutes to travel the distance.

It’s the same case for Manila as it would take twice as long to travel during rush hours. Driving the same distance at a busy time takes 35 minutes and 27 seconds — about 16.7 kilometers per hour — in the morning.

And when everyone’s headed home for the night, covering 10 kilometers would take 44 minutes. Traffic moves slower at 13.6 kilometers per hour.

Those traveling along Manila roads regularly lose about 127 hours every year — that’s equivalent to 5 days and 7 hours.

In Caloocan, driving 10 kilometers during rush hour takes 33 minutes and 25 seconds in the morning. It also takes longer to go home at night, as it would take 40 minutes and 1 second.

People lose 111 hours or 14 days and 15 hours yearly due to Caloocan’s traffic woes.

What’s next?

Traffic has long been a problem in the Philippines.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has warned that the country could lose P5.4 billion daily by 2035 if nothing is done to address the problem. (READ: Heavy traffic? Marcos advisor calls it sign of ‘booming’ economy)

When Metro Manila ranked first last year, the Department of Transportation noted that the government’s road transport projects “are directed at improving commuter experience while addressing worsening traffic in highly urbanized areas.”

However, in the 2025 national budget, a number of the government’s flagship transport infrastructure projects will be relying on unprogrammed appropriations.

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This means funding will come from the government’s excess revenue, which the department can only tap into by the second quarter of the year.

Among affected projects are key railway projects — the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 Cavite Extension, the Metro Manila Subway Project, and the North-South Commuter Railway System. (READ: To solve Metro Manila traffic: Move more people, not cars) – Rappler.com