President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has extended the deadline for consolidating public utility vehicle franchises under the PUV modernization program to 30 April, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

In a statement sent to Palace reporters, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Marcos moved the deadline from 31 December upon the recommendation of Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.

"This extension is to allow those who expressed intention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off," Garafil said.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III, for his part, said that LTFRB will adhere to Marcos' directive to extend the PUV consolidation.

Guadiz added that operators and drivers are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity.

To note, Marcos mentioned last December that he "remained firm" in not extending the consolidation for public utility vehicle operators.

"We cannot let the minority cause further delays, affecting majority of our operators, banks, financial institutions and the public at large," Marcos explained in a social media post.

"Adhering to the current timeline ensures that everyone can reap the benefits of the full operationalization of our modernized public transport system. Hence, the scheduled timeline will not be moved," he added.

The PUV Modernization Program aimed to replace conventional jeepneys with vehicles equipped with a minimum Euro 4-compliant engine to reduce pollution and phase out units that do not meet the government's roadworthiness standards.

The initial phase of the modernization program involves consolidating individual PUV franchises into cooperatives or corporations. This strategic step is designed to transfer the responsibility of acquiring modernized units from individual operators to the organized transport entities.