President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday announced the revival of the iconic “Love Bus” as a free public transportation initiative, starting with pilot programs in Davao City and Cebu.
Speaking during his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Marcos evoked nostalgia by referencing the brightly colored Love Buses that became popular in Metro Manila in the 1970s.
Originally launched under his father’s administration, the Love Bus was the country’s first air-conditioned mass transport service and a symbol of modernized urban mobility during that era.
“Do you still remember the ‘Love Bus’?” President Marcos said.
“We’re not just bringing it back, we’re making it free,” he added.
The program, he clarified, is in its initial testing phase in Davao and Cebu and will soon expand to other areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The President did not give specific dates for the rollout or the scope of the expansion, but emphasized that the initiative is part of a broader push to improve public transportation across the country.
No details were immediately released regarding the funding source, route coverage, or implementing agencies for the free bus service.
Launched in 1975 under First Lady Imelda Marcos, the original Love Bus service was operated by the Metro Manila Transit Corporation.
It was phased out by the 1990s amid traffic congestion and the emergence of other transport modes.
The new version aims to provide a free and reliable transport option, especially in key urban centers outside the capital.
