LIPA CITY, Batangas (PIA) – Jeepney drivers who will be affected by the consolidation scheme under the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) are set to receive assistance and capacity-building training as the country introduces a more modernized and safe public transport system.
Director Loumer Bernabe of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region IV-A said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum on Tuesday, June 4, that it has launched a scholarship and livelihood program for drivers affected by the PUVMP.
He said “TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) and the Department of Labor and Employment are providing trainings and knowledge to help them find employment. There is [TESDA’s] TsuperIskolar [program], while the DOLE provides schooling allowance while they undergo training,” the director explained.
Bernabe stated the LTFRB has been encouraging PUJ drivers to form or join cooperatives as part of the franchise consolidation process.
He added: “They can join existing cooperatives and corporations that have already consolidated. This is the only assistance we can provide them, but the LTFRB has a program called enTSUPERneurprogram,”
In partnership with DOLE, the enTSUPERneur program offers alternative livelihoods to affected PUV drivers through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), providing capital and capacity building in livelihood and entrepreneurship.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region IV-A Director Loumer Bernabe during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas press conference on June 4, 2024.
As of April 30, 21,820 PUV units traversing 533 routes have been consolidated into a single entity, comprising 82 percent of the total units in the region.
For jeepneys, a total of 20,754 units and 443 routes have already undergone consolidation.
The remaining 18 percent of unconsolidated units belong to individual jeepney operators, and the LTFRB is urging them to join existing cooperatives that have already consolidated.
Once the PUVMP reaches its deadline, consolidated jeepneys may still be used until the arrival of modernized units. Subsequently, older units that were once used for public transport, can be converted into private vehicles.
Bernabe said: “When you consolidate, you will continue using your current jeep until the modernized units arrive. Once the modernized units are available, your old jeep will not be confiscated. Instead, you will register it with the LTO to convert it into a private vehicle. These jeepneys can then be used on farms or for transporting your family, but not for carrying passengers.”
The Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas second episode featured the Department of Transportation and its attached agencies, including LTFRB, Land Transportation Office, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, where they provided updates and featured significant accomplishments in improving the transportation sector of the region. (PB/PIA-4A)
