Marcos sets new April 30 limit, transport groups laud decision
President Marcos has extended the deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicles as part of the PUV modernization program by three months.
The Presidential Communications Office said that Mr. Marcos, upon the recommendation of Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, “granted an additional three months until April 30 for the consolidation of public utility vehicles.”
“This extension is to give an opportunity to those who expressedintention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off,” the PCO added in a statement.
The announcement came hours after public jeepney, bus, and taxi drivers met with Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to air their concerns on the PUVMP, the initial deadline for which was looming on Jan. 31 or in a week’s time.
The transport groups PISTON and Manibela, whose members were among those who met with Romualdez at the House of Representatives, both welcomed the extension.
On its Facebook page, PISTON, which stands for Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide, said: “May Tagumpay sa sama-samang pagkilos! Deadline, inextend hanggang April 30! Panimulang tagumpay pa lamang ito. TULOY ANG LABAN HANGGANG MABASURA ANG NEGOSYO AT MAKADAYUHANG PUVMP!”
[There is victory in a united movement! The deadline has been extendedto April 30! But this is just an initial victory. We will keep fighting until the pro-business, pro-foreigner PUVMP is abolished!]
Manibela’s FB page posted the words “Tagumpay!” (Victory) and “MayPanginoon tayo!” (There is a God) an hour after hearing the Palace pronouncement.
Romualdez said he welcomed President Marcos’ approval of an additionalthree months for the consolidation of public utility vehicle franchises under the government modernization program.
“The LTFRB will adhere to President Marcos Jr.’s directive to extend the consolidation of public utility vehicles until April 30, 2024.
Operators and drivers are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity provided by the President,” board chairman Teofilo Guadiz
III said in a statement.The Speaker said he was set to personally ask the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board to extend the Jan. 31 deadline for those who own PUVs that are not yet consolidated under a single cooperative or corporation, a requirement for securing a fresh franchise to ply the roads.
“Personally, I would beg the LTFRB to extend it if possible so that we can further study how the modernization program will affect the majority,” he said.
Earlier, Romualdez said he is opposed to a phase-out of traditional jeepneys as he met with the various transport groups following a congressional hearing on the implementation of the PUVMP.
The House committee on transportation had adopted a draft resolution urging President Marcos to reconsider the lapsed Dec. 31, 2023 deadline for the PUV franchise consolidation measure.
This came after Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez moved for the approval of the resolution during the continuation of the committee’s inquiry Wednesday on the government’s PUVMP.
The resolution appeals to the President and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to extend the franchise consolidation deadline until “the government can come up with a concrete plan to address the major issues in the implementation of the program.”
At a news conference, Romualdez said: “I do not want the image of ourjeepney to disappear. The jeepney is the symbol of our country. It should never be out of the picture.”
“I support you on this, and we will preserve this [iconic traditionaljeepney]. There’s Sarao and Francisco Motors,” Romualdez added, referring to two prominent jeepney manufacturers.
“We will find solutions, cheaper options. We will support local manufacturers in this,” Romualdez said.
Prior to the President’s announcement, Romualdez assured the transport groups that by Thursday, he would meet with President Marcos to tellhim of the sector’s plight of losing their livelihoods due to the modernization program.
“While the intention of the PUVMP is beyond question and considering that the modernization of public transportation is long overdue, the needed reforms must be done in accordance with law and due process to ensure the protection of the affected stakeholders and the riding public in general,” the House resolution read.
The franchise consolidation is a focal part of the PUV modernization program.
The LTFRB allows unconsolidated individual public utility vehicle operators to operate until Jan. 31, 2024 under certain conditions to ensure ample supply of public transportation next year.
Starting Feb. 1, PUVs with unconsolidated franchises will be considered illegal and may be apprehended by the Land Transportation Office and other deputized traffic personnel.
Based on the LTFRB data, 38,000 out of 150,867 PUVs didn’t join the consolidation process.
During the hearing, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop then ordered the committee secretary to create a draft resolution so it may be considered in the next hearing.
Fernandez has voiced concerns on the alleged corruption in the PUV modernization program, as well as the need to preserve the iconic design of the Philippine jeepney in modern jeepneys.
Until measures to help PUV drivers are in place, Romualdez said he was appealing to the DOTr “to conduct a complete review of the modernization program and extend the period of its implementation.”
LTFRB data also showed a total of 1,948 routes across the country have no consolidated jeepney and UV Express units, days before the crackdown starts on Feb. 1.
Of these routes, 1,767 were jeepney routes while 181 were UV Express routes.
Among the regions, Bicol has the most number of routes without consolidated jeepneys at 451, which is higher than the 214 routes with consolidated units in the region.
In Metro Manila, 320 routes have no consolidated jeepneys but 555 do.
The national government said 76.6 percent of jeepneys have consolidated into cooperatives after the Dec. 31, 2023 deadline as part of the PUVMP.
On Tuesday, various transport groups, including those from Negros Island, went to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in time for its en banc session to call for the immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order against the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program. The leader of the group Kabacod said they made the trip to Manila to show the Supreme Court that it wasn’t only Metro Manila that was affected by the PUVMP.