(LYN RILLON / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) under the Department of Transportation vowed to find ways to provide employment to public utility vehicle drivers who will be displaced by the PUV modernization program on Sunday, the deadline for the franchise consolidation.
OTC Chairman Andy Ortega said that drivers of PUV operators who failed to consolidate on December 31 still have a chance to be employed by operators who participated in the mandatory franchise consolidation.
“Hahanapan po namin dito sa OTC at sa DOTr ng trabaho ‘yung mga drivers na na-displace. We will make sure na tuluy-tuloy po sila sa ruta,” Ortega said in an interview over DZBB.
(Here at the OTC and the DOTr, we will look for jobs for the displaced drivers.)
“The drivers of operators who did not consolidate still have a chance to drive for the new operators that the government will provide,” Ortega added in Filipino.
“The previously mentioned 26 percent a few weeks ago, the figure is now around 34 percent. We expect more numbers, and nationwide, it’s still at 70 percent. Every number added is a good number for us.”
The mandatory franchise consolidation is one of the steps in the implementation of the government’s PUV modernization program.