ZAMBOANGA CITY (PIA) -- Nearly 800 public transport operators and drivers who are affected by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) have signed up with the enTSUPERneur Program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Zamboanga Peninsula was one of the first to roll out the implementation of the EnTSUPERneur Program. 

The enTSUPERneur Program is a stakeholder support mechanism component of the PUVMP which addresses the socio-economic impact of the jeepney modernization program.

One of the beneficiaries, the Dumingag Transport Cooperative (Dutransco) in Zamboanga del Sur was able to put up an auto spare parts and accessories shop.

“Dako ug tabang sa mga miyembro. Ang uban members maapekhan, padownan ra namo ug half, dili na kinahanglan mupalit ug cash dayon” Dutransco President Armando Sumbillo said. (It’s a big help to our members. We just ask some of our affected members to make a 50 percent downpayment so they could still hold on to their cash.)

The regional office of the DOLE together with its partner agency and other stakeholders led the turnover of Kabuhayan Starter Kits (KSKs) to 768 transport sector beneficiaries under the enTSUPERneur Program.

Among the 768 beneficiaries, the Dumingag Transport Cooperative in Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, consisting of 32 group members, received P500,000. The remaining individual beneficiaries received a total of P22,080,000, with 593 from Zamboanga City, 96 from Zamboanga del Sur, 34 from Zamboanga del Norte, and 12 from Zamboanga Sibugay.

The PUVMP aims to change the current franchising system, revise and introduce new routes, and provide education to jeepney drivers. The program, according to the Department of Transportation, aims for safe and comfortable transport, reliable travel time, and disciplined and competent drivers.

Transport stakeholder-beneficiaries that are affected by the implementation of PUVMP include driver-operators, drivers, operators, and allied workers (conductors, dispatchers, mechanics, and/or management staff) from cooperatives, non-cooperatives, or as individuals.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has recently approved the extension for franchise consolidation until April 30, 2024, under the PUVMP, giving an opportunity to those who expressed intention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off.

As of December 31, 2023, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-9 has recorded a consolidation rate of 83.72% for all modes of public utility vehicles in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The "enTSUPERneur Program" is carried out through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) under Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, series of 2022, jointly signed by the DOLE, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Office of the Transportation Cooperatives (OTC). The DOTr, LTFRB, and OTC are at the forefront of the beneficiary selection process and have allocated funds for the program. (RVC/EDT/CCP/PIA9 with photos from DOLE-9)