Bus Lines in The Philippines

[kiretoce]

Philtranco marks 90 years in travel, transport trade


By ARLENE DABU-FOZ


Top officials and executives from the country’s travel and transport industry will gather today at Philtranco’s main hub, the first bus company in the country, as it celebrates its 90th year today (July 6, 2004). It will be marked with simple rites at the newly renovated Philtranco Central Station along EDSA corner Pasay City.


Jose E. B. Antonio, Philtranco president and chief executive officer (CEO), will launch the program of the bus company’s Computerized Ticketing and Reservation System, Cargo Box, Green Cargo, Door-to-Door and On-board Philtranco.

The new products, officials said, will enhance Philtranco’s service to the traveling public, which also aims to promote domestic tourism nationwide.

The Bicol-based transport company, a globally competitive transportation provider, continues to innovate to help boost the local tourism with its most extensive area of coverage in the country via the "Ro-Ro" (roll-on, roll-off), its coverage of roads and ferry boats connecting Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

With the widest network set-up, Philtranco buses ply the routes from Manila to Quezon, Bicol, Samar, Leyte, Cebu all the way to Cagayan de Oro, Davao and other Eastern routes. Likewise from Manila to Caticlan, Iloilo and Estancia via Batangas and Mindoro on its latest routes along the Western seaboard using the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.

Philtranco takes pride in its 20 Gold Service (GS) buses, its extra wider and bigger land transports with service and amenities similar to that of an airplane. Staffed by pretty and competent stewardesses as well as skilled drivers, a Gold Service bus is designed to make long-haul travels very comfortable and hasslefree. Aside from more legroom and ergonomically-fitted seats, the GS bus offers on-board meals and snacks, blankets, on-board television, stereo and a toilet cubicle at the bus’ rear end.

Aside from the 20 GS coaches, Philtranco’s fleet of 370 buses include 200 air-conditioned and 150 non-air-conditioned buses. Moving over 2.7 million passengers a year, Philtranco logs an average of 200 Northbound and Southbound daily trips with an estimated terminal traffic of 19,000 daily passengers.

Founded by former Amercian serviceman Albert Louis Ammen and Max Blouse, Philtranco, previously known as A.L. Ammen Transportation Company (ALATCO), started in Bicol on July 1, 1914.

Philtranco has changed several hands since then and 40 years after its founding, ALATCO’s control shifted to the Tuason family who holds shares of the Eastern Tayabas Bus Company (ETB), a merging of three small bus companies working in Quezon’s Tayabas area.

Seventeen years later, the First Manila Management Corp. (FMMC), via its subsidiary Central Auto Bus Corp. (CABCO) now known as Philtranco South Express Inc. (PSEI), bought the ALATCO and ETB from the Tuasons.

Since 1984 to 1989, the bus company was known as PSEI. Between those years, PSEI’s senior executives negotiated for the transfer of ownership of the entire FMMC group to its managers, employees and pre-martial law owners. Thus, the group became the first Filipino corporation majority-owned, managed and operated by its own employees and managers.

But even beefed up transport biggies like PSEI traveled the long-haul routes to success via jagged economic highways. After some painful setbacks in the ’70s, the thriving bus company rebounded and charted a net worth of R34.9 million by the end of 1989.

Philtranco boosted domestic travel during the third quarter of 1986 when it launched its LuzViMinda run, a bus-cum-ferry operation linking Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in a nationwide route. This was followed by cargo truck and air-conditioned bus services.

Eight years later, Philtranco went thru changing of the guards again when the Mantrasco group bought its entirety. Mantrasco’s impressive lineup included juvenile and assertive entrepreneurs dominant in the transport trade like Johnny T. Hernandez of Victory Liner, Cesar T. Hernandez of Five Star Bus Company and Jaime E. Chua of JAC Liner, Inc.

Finally, the Jose Ch. Alvarez-led Penta Pacific Realty Corp. acquired Philtranco in 1999. As Tritran majority owner and operator, Alvarez consolidated the operations of Philtranco and Tritran and launched a top solo and dynamic intermodal transport company in the Southern Philippines via R250-million makeover and additional 80 brand new units.

Now, under the helm of Jose Pepito Ch. Alvarez as chairman of the board, and Jose E.B. Antonio as its president and chief executive officer (CEO), Philtranco is about to wrap-up its five-year, R4-billion expansion program that involved purchase of 200 German-made buses, 12 ferryboats, construction of super terminals and funding to improve passenger and cargo handling and delivery services.

In a span of five years, the new management registered prolific turnovers and drew successful flagship programs to make long-haul trips as convenient and hassle-free as possible. Last March, Philtranco bagged the Outstanding Service – Bus Line plum during the 19th National Consumers Excellence given by the Parangal ng Bayan Foundation. It’s in recognition of the firm’s excellence in providing top-notch goods and services to the public.

Three years ago, Philkargo took-off. The new concept makes for a speedy and secured vital luggage transporting cargo services. It has a capacity of two tons per bus, with a maximum transport of 352 tons daily.

Five years ago, Philtranco launched Biyaheng Pinoy to further drum up domestic travel. Last February 2003 they went on-line via Philtranco SMS (short messaging system) to update travelers of departure and arrival schedules.

In April 2003, Philtranco’s Central Station was spruced up with a passenger and baggage check-in system, a pre-departure area, fully air-conditioned waiting areas, food court, and very efficient 24-hour staff to assist passengers and maintain the safety and orderliness within the terminal.

Recently, Philtranco came up with Privilege Plus Card (PPC) program to provide discounts and special benefits to its cardholders. As its official publication, Philtranco released Onboard, the first-of-its-kind land transport industry journal.

Philtranco has the biggest and most comprehensive bus maintenance bases in the country. They can be found in Daet, Naga, Iriga, Tabaco, Legaspi, Sorsogon, Matnog, Bulan, Catbalogan, San Isidro, Allen, Goa, Tacloban, Liloan, Davao City and Cagayan de Oro.

[kennethologist]

IMO MRTs are slowly killing the Bus Transport system is metro manila...

[pau_p1]

well... I hope it would.... hehhehe...

we need better air.. and those buses pollute too much...

[kennethologist]

Originally Posted by pau_p1

well... I hope it would.... hehhehe...

we need better air.. and those buses pollute too much...

actually busses are alright... But all we have in the metro are sh*ty busses... you can actually spot an unbalanced (the one that looks like it its gon fall over one side!) bus cruisin along edsa... its just plain awkward... what we need are modern, slick and lung-friendly busses

[mhe-ann]

Originally Posted by mbassyambassador

...you can actually spot an unbalanced (the one that looks like it its gon fall over one side!) bus cruisin along edsa... its just plain awkward... what we need are modern, slick and lung-friendly busses

yeah...hope that they would eliminate those buses...especially the rusty ones...

Originally Posted by mbassyambassador

IMO MRTs are slowly killing the Bus Transport system is metro manila...

much better then, isama na nila yung mga jeep sa pagpatay ng bus industry

[Lightspeed]

Those rotten buses plying the streets of Metro Manila should indeed give way to the more efficient mode of mass transport like the MRT and LRT.

But I think the provinces still need those buses, especially since the Railway system is still in its earliest stages.

What would be nice, and indeed to spur some economic activity, is to have a Central Bus Terminal for Metro Manila, like the ones they have in many places in Asia.

This Central Bus Terminal could have Northbound and Southbound sections and all bus lines could have their own areas in the Terminal. So we could have JAM Liner, Victory Liner, Philtranco, Tritran, Five Star and others loading and unloading their passengers in the Terminal.

What's good about this is that it presents big opportunities for retail operations. So SM, Robinsons, EVER-Gotesco or what have you, can be asked to develop mini-malls there as the human traffic is just amazing, especially during weekends and holidays.

It could become like a mini-airport with a centralized electronic dispatching system. I've had enough of the crude and archaic system we have now where each Bus Company has its own terminal and many of their facilities are already dilapidated.

[mhe-ann]

nice idea.

[ryanr]

There is also to much crime happening in buses. Criminals love to hold-up buses especially in Crossing (Mandaluyong) and Cubao. They should really lessen the number of buses along the EDSA route as they are the cause of major traffic jams. Send those buses to other MM routes or to the provinces.

[renell]

we should have a proper bus transit system like in major cities around the world. those big buses from taiwan, korea and japan should only be used in out-of-town travel.

[ewh1]

I found this press release

This order is for the Phase out of the old Metro Manila buses and in a older article. the phase out of the Jeepney to FX Veicles. If the metro Manila bus companies do not buy new busses i think they would be closed down by the government

20/9/2004: Chinese CNG buses to be exported to Manila

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Cummins Westport, the joint venture between diesel engine giant Cummins and Westport Innovations of Canada, will supply 100 B-series compressed natural gas-fuelled (CNG) engines for public transit buses in Metro Manila as part of the Philippine government's Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT). The buses will be built in China.

These will be the first fleets of low-emissions CNG buses to be used in the country and Metro Manila expects to have 900 CNG buses in operation by the end of next year.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was in Beijing for a three-day state visit, witnessed the signing of the supply agreements between Ching Gettman, Cummins Westport’s general manager for Asia and several Filipino bus operators, together with Energy Secretary Vicente Perez. Steve Chapman, Cummins Westport chairman and vice president in charge of international operations at Cummins, also attended.

Chinese bus manufacturers led by Anhui Ankai Automobile and Zhengzhou Yutong Company will supply the new buses. It is the first significant export of Chinese buses using CWI engines. Philippine bus operators will place their Ankai bus orders through Cummins Philippines, which has been appointed the authorised Ankai bus distributor.


Look at the Buses! Brand New!!!

http://www.ankai.com/english/product.asp
http://www.yutong.com/en/product/cpx...e_2=City%20Bus

[amras]

wow! these buses are so cool!

pero sana, maayos muna ang flood problems sa MM bago sila gumamit ng ganitong bus. kasi sayang naman kung lulubog lang sa tubig... Nevertheless, great news for everyone! Newer bus, more effecient, and less pollution.

[bagel]

More than just being new, these buses are CNG fueled buses. I think the move from diesel powered buses to CNG powered buses is more significant than just having new buses. I think related legislation to require clean-burning diesels needs also to be pursued by the government. Unfortunately, clean diesels need advanced diesel engine technology which jeepneys and automobiles in the Philippines are not equipped for. (Same with the US)

[renell]

awesome. those buses are the bomb! i know most european cities use that type of bus, not the coaches MM bus operators use. though it does carry a lot less. that could be a problem for some operators who want big buses to ply through their routes. but these buses should be the only ones to use EDSA imo.

[federal]

our buses kasi have so many seats eh.... unlike in other countries. i think tourist buses converted to public use yung mga nandito...

[Dvorak]

it's way way better than those japanese/korean surplus buses that we have now in Edsa... I hope we could see this soon!

[renell]

Originally Posted by federal

our buses kasi have so many seats eh.... unlike in other countries. i think tourist buses converted to public use yung mga nandito...

yeah that's true. and they cause congestion sa EDSA. tapos hinde pa malinis.

are there gonna be long, extended versions of this type of bus?

[ewh1]

It doesn't look like it from the site. I know you can get the Articulated (bus with a Rubberish Extensiton to make the bus turn easily) bus but don't look like it here

[pau_p1]

hmmm.. these are like the Singaporean buses huh... those are nice... cleaner buses would definitely help our pollution problem.... and Arroyo and MMDA should be harsh on these buslines.... they should really be closed down unless they change their buses.... their smoke makes our infrastructures look dirty and easily weathered....

for jeepneys I hope they would post a legislation that new jeepneys should have these kind of engines.. and then the private vehicles next....

[ron_guevara]

I hope these buses can be equipped with card readers too, like the ones in Singapore, where they have stored-value cards that are valid for both the MRT and the buses. That way, the transit system in Metro Manila can be better integrated. I think the Strong Republic Transit system should include the bus system.

A card system would be better also so that fare disputes can be avoided. I have been frustrated so many times by fare disputes, especially now that the minimum jeepney/bus fare is P5.50. Many jeepney drivers don't give the P0.50 change if you give them P6.00.

I also think that the government should reduce the number of jeepneys and replace them with the new buses on the main routes. This would lessen traffic and pollution, and encourage people to walk more (better for our health too).