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 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 an intention to consolidate but did not make the cut-off,” Garafil said.

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

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

To note, Marcos stressed last December that he “remained firm” about not extending the consolidation deadline for public utility vehicle operators.

“We cannot let the minority cause further delays, affecting the majority of our operators, banks, financial institutions and the public at large,” Marcos had said 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 is aimed at replacing 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 modern units from individual operators to organized transport entities.