By Gerome Dalipe IV
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has reopened its Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) consolidation program under Department Order No. 2025-009, granting a second chance to operators and drivers who were previously excluded or awaiting approval.
Under the revised order, operators on routes with at least 60 percent consolidation may now merge into existing cooperatives.
Those on less-consolidated routes—provided they hold valid franchise authority—can form new Transport Service Entities (TSEs) or join other groups.
Kailangan natin tulungan yung mga nag-modernisa na at sumama na sa programa. Sila ang priority natin, kailangan natin bigyan sila ng reprieve para hindi na sila malugi, said DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon, emphasizing the need to ease the financial burden on operators who have invested in modern, compliant vehicles.
Ang importante lang po ay mabigyan ng opportunity na makabalik at makabiyahe ng legal itong ating mga operator na hindi nakasama sa consolidation, he added.
The initiative aims to protect individual operators and small cooperatives from high loan repayments, registration fees, and consolidation costs.
All older jeepney units must undergo mandatory road-worthiness inspections before resuming operations to ensure passenger safety.
Transport stakeholders continue to face challenges under the broader Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
In Iloilo province, the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) remains pending before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Operators there have raised concerns over the high cost of modern units, limited financing options, the phaseout of traditional jeepneys, and logistical issues with rationalized routes.
The DOTr has endorsed 49 public utility jeepney routes in Iloilo—43 existing and six developmental—alongside two filcab routes, nine utility van express services, one mini-bus line, and 12 public utility bus corridors, including one new route.
The LTFRB Region 6 reported that Western Visayas leads the country in consolidation compliance, with a 97.22 percent rate in Iloilo City and 98.74 percent across the province.
As a cornerstone of the PTMP, the LPTRP aims to optimize routes, reduce congestion, and improve commuter services while safeguarding the livelihoods of drivers and transport workers.
