ILOILO City – The clock is ticking for a total of 2,509 traditional jeepney units in Western Visayas. Will they be able to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations by Dec. 31 – that is 11 days from today?
It was at the end of World War 2 when the jeepney transport system started. Driven by the need for mass public transportation and the absence of government investments, Filipino ingenuity produced and ran jeepneys out of abandoned US military jeeps. Now, they are at risk of being phased out starting in January 2024.
The government, bent on modernizing public transport, is offering a way out. According to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), these iconic jeepneys – that mostly fail pollution and safety standards – would cease operations from Jan. 1, 2024 if they fail to form or join a transport cooperative or corporation.
The breakdown of the region’s 2,509 traditional jeepney units is as follows:
* Bacolod City – 1,439 units
* Iloilo City – 406 units
* Negros Occidental – 244 units
* Iloilo Province – 232 units
* Antique, Capiz, Kalibo, and Guimaras – 188 units
LTFRB-6 legal counsel and spokesperson Atty. Salvador Altura confirmed, “As of today, 2,509 units of Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) require consolidation.”
In addition, 88 units of UV Express in the region have yet to be consolidated, with varying numbers across different routes and provinces.
But the clock is ticking. Altura continues to urge the remaining individual jeepney operators and drivers in the region to visit the LTFRB regional office, even on weekends, before the Dec. 31 deadline to form a cooperative or corporation.
LTFRB has simplified the joining requirements for these entities, necessitating only a vehicle’s Official Receipt/Certificate of Registration (OR/CR) and proof of Filipino citizenship, with other requirements to be submitted at next year’s hearings.
Particularly in areas with an approved Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP), such as Iloilo City and Bacolod City, it is advisable for individual operators and drivers to join existing cooperatives or corporations.
This affiliation not only ensures continued operation but also offers a daily dividend of P500, even without receiving a modernized unit.
In provinces without an approved LPTRP such as Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Antique, Guimaras, Capiz, and Aklan, there is still an opportunity to form new cooperatives or corporations before the deadline and avail of modernized units, as the number of units per route has yet to be awarded.
Altura advises all individual operators and drivers to temporarily join a transport cooperative or corporation to ensure their operations continue from Jan. 1, 2024. He emphasizes that while disagreements with the cooperative or corporation’s policies can be addressed later, the priority is to ensure continued operations.
LTFRB chairperson Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III issued Memorandum Circular No. 2023-051 on Dec. 14, focusing on the operations of consolidated transport service entities in all routes with applications for consolidation filed on or before Dec. 31, 2023.
This circular is part of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), aimed at minimizing air pollution and improving public transport safety. It addresses the conditions of the Provisional Authority after Dec. 31, 2023, following nationwide public consultations and transport forums.
The circular outlines two key guidelines:
1. For Consolidation: All Transport Service Entities (TSEs) and individual operators who have applied for consolidation by December 31, 2023, will continue to operate under their existing Provisional Authority (PA), valid until December 31, 2024, or the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC), whichever comes first.
2. Without Consolidation: On routes without consolidated TSEs, all PAs issued to individual operators will be revoked effective January 1, 2024. These units will not be authorized for registration as public utility vehicles, and a show cause order will be issued in compliance with the amended Public Service Act. The Board will issue separate guidelines to ensure an adequate supply of public transport on these routes./PN
