Parañaque village HOA under fire for charging rider ₱700 to enter

The Multinational Village Homeowners Association Inc. (MVHAI) in Parañaque City is facing backlash over its offer of ₱700 village stickers for motorcycle taxi and delivery riders, with critics questioning why riders should have to pay just to enter a subdivision and fulfill residents’ orders.

In a notice posted on Facebook dated November 9, the association said the promotional stickers would be available until November 14 at its clubhouse, down from the regular price of ₱2,450. The offer excludes riders working for logistics companies such as Ninja Van, J&T Express, and LBC Express.

The announcement drew angry reactions online, with commenters questioning why riders should pay to enter the village and suggesting residents could instead meet their bookings at the village gates.

“Pag diyan ang drop-off, automatic cancel na. Di naman yan kawalan sa aming mga rider, sa inyo na yang kalsada ninyo,” an individual said in the comments section.

Another questioned who would actually be inconvenienced, asking, “Rider kaya ang mahihirapan or pasahero na taga diyan?”

Under Republic Act No. 9904, or the Magna Carta for Homeowners’ and Homeowners’ Associations, HOAs may regulate subdivision roads for security, privacy, safety, and traffic management.

However, these rules must comply with existing laws and may require public consultations, approval from relevant government authorities, and necessary agreements with concerned parties.

More specifically, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s Memorandum Circular No. 2024-006 prohibits HOAs from preventing delivery and utility providers from entering subdivisions or collecting gate fees, tolls, or similar charges from them when delivering goods or services ordered by residents.

In other words, delivery riders cannot be charged simply for entering a village to fulfill a resident’s order, although associations may still implement reasonable security procedures.

The MVHAI has yet to respond to the criticisms as of writing.