Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co has raised concerns about how a “big number” of consolidated operator-borrowers were making late payments under the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).During a budget hearing at the House of Representatives on Thursday, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said 37% of operator-borrowers under Land Bank had accounts at “default” or were behind on payment.This refers to 44 out of 109 operator-borrowers.Guadiz added, 16.5% or 38 out of 188 operator-borrowers or consolidated transport service entities (TSE) under Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) had accounts at default.Co asked why the government was pushing for more unconsolidated drivers to join cooperatives if consolidated TSEs were struggling financially.“We are highly concerned dito sa mga nagde-default na accounts and ‘yung framework na essentially na kung mayroong pataas and mayroong big number ng mga nalulugi, bakit ang solusyon natin ay mapapasok pa sa mga unconsolidated sa mga kooperatiba na nalulugi po?” Co asked.According to Guadiz, the LTFRB has addressed these issues by asking the banks involved for restructuring, giving drivers more viable routes, and providing education on fiscally managing their assets.Guadiz added, the issue stems from the presence of colorums, as well as intercooperative disputes.“‘Yun pong mga sinasabi ho nating nahihirapan sa pagbayad based on our conversation with Land Bank and DBP, it stems on two things. Number one is the issue of colorum. They are competing with these viable routes. Number two is intracorporate or intercooperative dispute. Some of these drivers ngayon lang nasubukan mag-manage ng cooperative, so nagkaroon ng problema in terms of payment with the bank,” Guadiz said.“We have already addressed these issues. One, we asked the bank for a restructuring. Two, we gave them more viable routes. Three, we gave them education on how to fiscally manage their assets… We are confident that we will be able to prevail over these challenges,” Guadiz added.Co also raised concerns over the decrease in public utility jeepneys (PUJ) in operation in relation to the PTMP, burdening commuters.The volume of PUJs declined by nearly 30% as this went down from over 135,000 in 2017 to over 95,000 in 2023, according to Co.“Basically from 2017, PUJs went from 135,303 tas nung 2023, naging 95,659– a volume decline of almost 40,000 and minus nearly 30% po. And this goes po for different types of vehicles. So since 2017, around 103,000 units ng PUJs, UVs ang nabawasan sa daan ng Metro Manila palang. ‘Yung 200,000 operators at tsuper, nawalan po sila ng kabuhayan,” Co said.“Nagdulot din po siya ng shortage of supply. I’m sure weekly, we see po ‘yung mga iba’t ibang reports sa Commonwealth and other parts of Metro Manila, magkukumpulan ‘yung mga commuters dahil wala silang masakyan,” Co added.But the decrease in public utility vehicles (PUV) on the road is also due to “route rationalization,” according to Guadiz.“‘Yung mga drivers po ‘yun na hindi po sumama sa consolidation, inabsorb po sila nung mga cooperative. So this is a part of the modernization kasi po ang daming sasakyan sa Metro Manila. So we have a route rationalization po. Tinitingnan lang namin kung ilan dapat ang maging sasakyan sa isang ruta. So talaga hong nagbabawas, kumokonti po ‘yung number because we rationalize the routes,” Guadiz said.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co has raised concerns about how a “big number” of consolidated operator-borrowers were making late payments under the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).

Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co has raised concerns about how a “big number” of consolidated operator-borrowers were making late payments under the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).

Lawmaker raises concerns over consolidated operators struggling to make payments

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Lawmaker raises concerns over consolidated operators struggling to make payments

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 04, 2025 06:34 PM PHT

Read More:

PTMP

Public Transportation Modernization Program

House of Representatives

PUV

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