House budget panel tackles transport supply gaps, alleged DOTr data mismatch

MANILA — Questions over the sufficiency of public transportation were discussed during the House of Representatives budget deliberations for the Department of Transportation (DOTr), as a lawmaker pointed out discrepancies between official agency reports and the actual daily struggles of commuters.

During the hearing, Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co challenged the DOTr’s stance regarding the state of public transport supply in the country, contrasting it with both operational data and the experiences of millions of commuters.

“Yung unang tanong po natin ay tungkol po sa datos na binahagi po ng Department of Transportation pagkatapos po ng budget briefing natin… at sa madugo po nating public transportation system,” she said.

Co noted that a year has passed since the DOTr issued its “commute to work” memorandum, recalling the experience of Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez when he commuted along Commonwealth Avenue on September 16, 2025.

“Sabi niya, hinggil sa karanasan sa pagsakay during rush hour. ‘Parusa, napakahirap, nakakapagod, at tingin ko po nasa digmaan kami, parang gera po,'” Co cited. “Welcome to the real world kung saan ito po ang araw-araw na experience ng ating mga estudyante, manggagawa, lahat po ng puwersahang sumabay sa ating mga tren, sa jeep, at sa madugo po nating public transportation system.”

Co mentioned statistics showing a sharp decline in operating public utility vehicles (PUVs) between 2025 and 2026.

Traditional PUJs dropped from 128,864 units in 2025 down to 110,346 units in 2026. Modern PUJs (MPUJs) also decreased from 11,954 to 8,960 units. 

“Malala po ito in one year,” Co said, questioning why transport supply shrank across both traditional and modern sectors.

Co confronted the panel regarding a contradiction in DOTr statements.

She noted that following his commute, Lopez had said, “The report we’re receiving that there is enough supply of public transportation is not true at all.” But she added that the agency’s post-budget briefing report claimed that “the current number of operational PUV units is generally deemed sufficient in meeting the passenger demand.”

“Separate concepts po yung sapat at kulang,” Co noted.

Co noted that the implementation of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) and Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) severely impacted public transport capacity.

“Malinaw na ang isang salik kung bakit nasisira ang public transport natin ay dahil sa papalpak na modernization program. Makikita natin sinimula nung in-implement ang PUVMP at PTMP na ngayon ay nawasak yung supply ng public transportation,” she said. 

She said that the phase-out of nearly 190,000 PUJs eliminated approximately 3.7 million in daily passenger capacity. 

“Hindi ito kaya punan modern jeep, kaya po sa mga numero na naibigay natin dahil po mas kaunti din sila and therefore mas kaunti yung by logic and transitive property yung kanilang carrying capacity,” Co said.

She added that initial fuel price shocks earlier in the year, along with limited 10-day subsidy assistance from the DOTr, further destabilized transport supply, leading bus groups like the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines, Mega Manila Consortium, Victory Liner, and ALPS to seek assistance.

Citing a February 2026 position paper by the PARA Commuters Network, Co pointed out that around 49 million people rely on public transportation daily, 25 million of whom use jeepneys, with many enduring over an hour of wait time to catch a ride.

Defending the DOTr budget, House sponsor Rep. Reynante Arrogancia clarified that the lower numbers in the 2026 data reflect registered units rather than an actual drop in operating vehicles on the road.

“Andun pa rin po tayo sa original natin na record na 128 [thousand] units natin. Pero ito pong 110,000 natin na confirmed units, ito lang po yung nakapagparehistro natin. At ito pong 8,960 confirmed po na PUJs na modern, nakapagparehistro po natin. Wala pong nabago doon po sa ating mga records dati pa,” he said.

“Hindi po tayo bumaba. Ito po ay yun po lamang nakarehistro na mga jeepneys po natin, mga modern jeeps po natin,” Arrogancia added, adding that unregistered drivers are still allowed to operate due to active Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) extension deadlines.

Addressing the issue of transport supply adequacy, Arrogancia maintained that current numbers remain sufficient overall despite rush-hour congestion.

“Sa ngayon po ay hindi naman po natin masasabing kulang. Maari pong sabihin natin ito’y sapat pero meron pa pong dapat i-improve tayo para hindi po humahaba ang pila ng mga mananakay natin,” Arrogancia said. “Sapat po ang atin pong mga PUJs, PUVs. Pero kahit naman pong isang lugar, kapag po rush hour, talaga pong minsan ay sobrang dami po ng mananakay.”

Arrogancia said that a traditional jeepney carries 200 to 250 passengers per day, while a modern jeepney carries 400 to 450 passengers daily. 

Multiplying these daily capacities by the confirmed 110,346 traditional units and 8,960 modern units, he argued that the overall transport capacity remained sufficient to meet demand.

Arrogancia committed to providing updated records to the House.