ILOILO City – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6, transport groups, and even drivers are waiting for the decision of the LTFRB central office regarding the franchise of traditional jeepneys.
Based on Memorandum Circular (MC) 2022-033, all traditional jeepney franchises, either with provisional authority or special permit, will expire on March 31, 2023.
Thus, without amendment from the LTFRB central office, the MC would fully take effect.
However, LTFRB-6 legal counsel and spokesperson, Atty. Salvador Altura, said LTFRB chair Teofilo Guadiz III issued a statement last week on a possible extension, giving operators and drivers more time to form cooperatives for the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.
“Based sa statement sang amon chairman may extension sila nga i-grant, pero asta subong wala pa makapanaog ang MC. So it is premature to discuss kon ano ang mangin content kag sin-o ang ma-benepisyohan, ano kalawigon, kag ano ang mga parameters,” Altura told Panay News yesterday.
SOME TRADITIONAL JEEPNEYS STOPPED TRIPS
Altura confirmed some traditional jeepneys with plate numbers ending in 1 and 2 stopped operating last month.
These units could no longer renew their Certificate of Registration (CR) because of an existing LTO-6 policy – if the franchise is shorter than six months.
Traditional jeepneys with plate numbers ending in 1 were supposed to renew their CR in January while those with plate numbers ending in 2 are scheduled to renew CR this February.
However, since the franchise for traditional jeepneys was supposed to expire on March 31, they could not meet the required minimum of six months of franchise validity, explained Altura.
He does not have the actual number of these jeepneys but he admitted that some drivers and operators sought help from the LTFRB-6.
Altura, however, said the LTFRB-6 cannot dictate the policies and regulations of the LTO.
“May ara na subong traditional jeepneys nga ang ila rehistro due for renewal kay kung ang plate number ending 1 or 2, January or February na respectively ang schedule. Galing kay sa existing policy sang LTO, if your franchise, provisional authority, or special permit is shorter than six months, indi sila mag-renew sang rehistro,” explained Altura.
Affected drivers and operators, according to him, could only wait for the MC to set down if they are still qualified to renew or extend their franchise.
“Waay ta mahimu, hulat lang kita kon san-o maabot,” he added.
LTO-6 director Eric Lenard Tabaldo, for his part, said they cannot break the existing policy; the agency is adamant that only those with a franchise validity of not less than six months could renew.
Tabaldo also said that affected traditional jeepneys could only hope for the LTFRB to issue an MC for an extension.
“What was announced sang LTFRB-Manila nga may extension, gusto namon mabal-an kon asta san-o ang extension. Until now, wala kami sang official copy. Indi kami maka-grant sang renewal of CR if the franchise is less than six months,” Tabaldo said.
Meanwhile, Altura said operators could help their affected drivers since there are still many units that operate.
Based on his observation, he said there are enough jeepney units to cater to passengers.
He took for example one cooperative in Mohon Terminal in Arevalo district with 38 units.
Out of these, only 10 units stopped operations.
“Damo sila miembro nga ara sa iban nga ruta nga puede gamiton didto sa Mohon nga wala pa na-expire ang ila rehistro. Ma-apply sila sang special permit diri,” explained Altura.
And, if ever there would be no extension of the franchise, he said there would be a shortage and the current modernized jeepney units cannot cater to all passengers.
In Iloilo City, there are only more or less 500 modernized jeepneys out of 1,767 committed by different cooperatives.
“Kulang eh kon indi ma-extend. Diri sa Iloilo City wala pa maka-50 percent mo. Kay ang modernized units expected to be completed by March 2023 are 1,767 units. Ti, subong daw wala pa kita makalab-ot sang 500 diri,” said Altura.
The March 2022 deadline was already extended to March 2023 to 100 percent deliver the modernized jeepney units, as first committed by cooperatives.
“Ginbutangan sang deadline nga March 2023 kay on the expectation nga ang undertaking of our cooperatives will be fulfilled 100 percent, pero may mga kabangdanan siguro nga indi nila ma-comply,” said the LTFRB-6 spokesperson.
Two possible factors, he said, were the delayed approval of loans at the government bank and the delayed delivery of units by the supplier.
TRANSPORT GROUP, DRIVERS HOPEFUL
Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) president and concurrent president of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Association (ICLAJODA), Raymundo “Boyet” Parcon, said 20 percent of the total 1,700 units under his cooperative stopped operations.
“Pa-untaton ko gid na sia kay mabudlay nga mag-risgu kay, for example, kon madakpan ikaw ang violation is P12,000 sa colorum plus kon ano pa gid ang other violation mo sa LTO. Kay kon si LTO magdakop damo violation mo,” said Parcon.
For his part, Parcon continues to follow up with the LTFRB and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on the MC for the possible franchise extension.
Meanwhile, Jaro Liko-Tagbak route president Eliezer Baclagon said the delayed issuance of a new MC by the LTFRB has put many drivers in a difficult situation.
“Amo na ang problema namon kay, ti, madamo gid sang drivers ang madulaan sang palangabuhian,” said Baclagon, a driver for more than 25 years.
He is also worried for himself as he may lose his source of livelihood.
“Tungod sa akon pagbiyahe na-provide ko ang ila kinahanglanon sa eskwelahan asta makatapos sila,” added Baclagon referring to his children.
Although he is slightly relieved with the news about a possible extension, it would be better if a new MC from the LTFRB central office will be released as soon as possible.
Baclagon said of the 73 units plying the Jaro Liko-Tagbak route, more or less 15 units were unable to renew their CR.
The 41-year-old Jonel Celisio of San Dionisio, Iloilo, said, “Kabay lang nga indi lang tani madayun kay, ti, pigado gid. Nagalibog man ulo ta nga kon matabu na ano ang iban ta nga obrahon.”
Celisio has driven jeepneys for over five years, plying the Leganes-SM City Highway route./PN
