Transport group Manibela president Mar Valbuena on Thursday maintained that the implementation of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) must be stopped, instead of extending its consolidation deadline to April 30.
“If you ask me personally if I am losing hope, no. Every hour, every minute, I am hoping,” he told the Manila Standard, referring to the program’s halt.
Valbuena said he was surprised when President Marcos approved the recommendation of Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista to extend the Jan. 31 deadline for jeepneys and UV Express units to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations until April 30.
“We did not see it coming because that scenario was never mentioned during the two dialogues we had with Congress,” he said.
The transport leader said the President must have realized that the modernization program was “not a perfect one.”
“There are loopholes. When would the time come that the government could perfectly implement it?” he wondered, adding “it’s tiring.”
Valbuena, nonetheless, said they welcome the effort of the President, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and the other members of Congress who listened to their concerns.
They plan to pursue more dialogues with the lawmakers to fully address their issues with the PUVMP.