BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Lawyer Salvador Altura Jr. has assumed his new position as the officer-in-charge of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 effective March 11.
His first order of business? To improve the delivery of service to the transport operators and the public.
In an interview, Altura told Panay News that he directed all section heads to submit the issues, concerns, and proposed resolutions affecting their respective offices.
“This will enable everyone to discuss openly these concerns and come up with a collective resolution on how to improve the delivery of services,” said Altura.
Altura, the former municipal councilor and administrator of Alimodian town, also said he will be working to improve the agency’s relationship with the local government executives and legislators.
He replaced Richard Osmeña as the LTFRB-6 director. The latter was reassigned to the Office of the Chairman effective March 11.
Altura was LTFRB-6’s legal officer before his designation as the agency’s officer-in-charge for one year.
What will Osmeña do in the chairman’s office?
In his office order dated March 8, LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz ordered Osmeña to provide “oversight guidance and strategic plan for formulating policies” for the operation of Transportation Network Companies and Transport Network Vehicles Service starting March 11.
Guadiz also instructed Osmeña to render proper turnover of the required documents and equipment to Altura.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Jaime Bautista issued Special Order No. 2024-077 on the new assignments of the LTFRB regional directors, including Osmeña.
The reassignments and appointments of new officials came in the wake of the controversies in the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“They shall ensure proper turnover of official records and documents of their current assignments, and perform and discharge all the functions and responsibility on their respective new assignment,” said Bautista in his order on March 8.
The DOTr secretary stressed the reassignment and the designation of officers-in-charge shall be effective starting March 11 for one year, under the Civil Service Commission Omnibus Rule on Appointment, unless amended, revoked, or superseded.
In compliance with Bautista’s order, Guadiz issued an office order to all concerned regional directors on their reassignments as well as the designation of officers-in-charge.
The LTFRB’s modernization program has faced backlash from various transport and cause-oriented groups since its inception in June 2018.
Critics argue that the program, which aims to phase out old jeepneys and replace them with newer, safer, and more environmentally friendly vehicles, is too costly for drivers and operators, leading to concerns about livelihoods and affordability.
Opponents also argue that the program does not consider the financial capacity of jeepney operators and drivers, many of whom are small operators with limited resources. There have been protests and calls for the government to reconsider or modify the program to address these concerns.
They decried the program as “anti-poor,” arguing that the new jeepney unit would cost them roughly P2.4 million per unit.
They also lamented that only multi-million peso companies can afford to buy the new “fleet management system” that sets a minimum of 15 units per franchise.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. caved into public clamor to extend the consolidation period for another three months until April 30, 2024.
The extension is supposed to accommodate individual operators to either join or form their transport cooperatives to achieve one of the components of the program./PN
