Albay Representative Edcel Lagman. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has agreed to amend its circular that bans provincial buses from entering Metro Manila after congressmen from Bicol lobbied to defer its implementation.
Albay Rep. Edcel “Grex” Lagman said the LTFRB had agreed to amend its Memorandum Circular No. 2014-015, which initially required all provincial public utility buses coming from the Bicol region to end their routes at the south station in Muntinlupa City.
He said the amended circular now provided a “window period” from midnight to
4 a.m. for the buses from the Bicol region to drop and pick up passengers at their terminals or common terminals in Metro Manila.
“The Bicol bloc congressmen, who worked hard for a solution to this problem, all welcome this amendment by the LTFRB,” Lagman said.
He said the decision was made after congressmen from the Bicol bloc initiated and filed House Resolution No. 1445 to defer implementation of the LTFRB circular banning provincial buses from entering Metro Manila.
On Sept. 17, Lagman and Rep. Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes province spearheaded talks with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino who expressed openness to the LTFRB’s plan to amend the memorandum by providing the window period.
“The window period is a very favorable solution to the problem of Bicol buses being banned from entering Metro Manila,” Lagman said.
He said the lifting of the ban on provincial buses from entering Metro Manila started on Sept. 19.
Lagman said he commended the LTFRB for also agreeing to a window period for Sundays and holidays.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda earlier filed a petition in the Supreme Court to stop the LTFRB’s bus scheme, which he said discriminated against people in the provinces who take the bus going to Manila.
The Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines supported Salceda’s move and said it was for the welfare of the riding public.