Marcos rejects calls for its suspension: PTMP to proceed

CEBU, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBMM) wants the Public Transportation Modernization Program (PTMP) to proceed, disagreeing with the Senate’s call to suspend its implementation, which he pointed out had been postponed for seven times already.

“I disagree with it (PTMP temporary suspension)…. Sinasabi nilang minamadali, (but) this has been postponed seven times. The modernization (program) has been postponed for seven times,” he told Manila reporters, including the Philippine Star.

“Those that have been objecting or have been crying out for suspension are in the minority…. Eighty percent have already consolidated….  So papano naman? Yung 20% ang mag-dedecide nung buhay ng 100? So pakinggan natin ang majority…. At ang majority sinasabi, ituloy natin…. So that’s what we do,” he added.

This pronouncement was warmly received by the Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperative and Allied Cooperative and Corporation, with its official rejoicing that the president saw the logic of their position.

“Lipay kaayo mi, sobra gyud ang ang kalipay nga gi-reject gyud ni President Bongbong Marcos ang maong Senate resolution,” said federation president Ellen Maghanoy.

She said they had a meeting with the transport leaders in Manila yesterday when they learned about the president’s decision rejecting Senate Resolution 1096, which sought the temporary suspension of the PTMP’s implementation.

“Imbis mag-meeting mi unsa nga sunod namo nga lakang nga among buhaton after our nationwide Unity Walk last Monday, kay mahug nga nag-celebrate na hinoon mi. Nagpasalamat mi sa presidente nga gidungog niya ang among awhag nga ibasura gyud niya ang maong Senate Resolution,” she said.

Maghanoy also thanked all government agencies, like the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Office of the Transportation Cooperative, the local government units of Cebu, for their support in urging the president to reject the said Senate resolution.

“Nagpasalamat sad mi sa media nga dako kaayo inyong tabang nga mapaabot gyud sa Presidente ang among awhag,” she said.

LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III also thanked President Marcos for continuously supporting the PTMP (formerly Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, PUVMP).

“I extend my utmost gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for his unwavering support to the Public Transportation Modernization Program and to the LTFRB,” Guadiz said.

He said PBBM’s steadfast commitment reinforces the importance of modernizing the country's public transportation system for the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the nation's future.

Guadiz said the President's "leadership and vision for a modernized transportation infrastructure are vital in addressing the evolving needs of our commuters and ensuring a more reliable and eco-friendly public transportation network."

In a related development, the Office of Transportation Cooperatives yesterday shared that it continued with its “Basic Fleet Management System” seminar at the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS) in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

The seminar focuses on the Fleet Management System (FMS) in the operation of transport cooperatives, which came to be due to the consolidation of public transport franchise mandated under the PTMP.

It was stressed that the FMS and digitalization are important “to ensure that public transport vehicles are in good running condition for a long time. As such, maintenance and repair expenses will be much lesser”.

The seminar also included an orientation on transportation regulatory compliance and safety, laws, and regulation as well as strategies for transport cooperative, to avoid adverse environmental impact. —/RHM (FREEMAN)