UTOL: Homegrown ride for every Juan

Filipinos are renowned for their unwavering hospitality and dedication to serving the community and their unmatched courage to lift each other up be it rain or shine, or, in this case, for every Juan on the wheel.

Rolando Maningas and Atty. Orly Ocampo, prime movers of the Unified Transport Operations League (UTOL), a Filipino-owned ride-hailing transport network company (TNC), aims for just that — and the helping hand of an utol, a sibling, on the road.

“Utol’s main goal would be for every Juan to ride, while for our drivers, every Juan can drive with pride,” Ocampo, the company’s head of legal, said.

Founded in 2017, UTOL, a 100 percent Filipino-owned venture, was conceptualized from a car rental business that Maningas also manages, following a collective demand from their independent contractors and longtime operators who previously serviced for other TNCs.

“Before they joined [our company], they were contractors for a different TNC. Post-duty, they would also service for other TNCs, even during their days off,” Maningas, UTOL’s chairperson, said.

He emphasized that anyone may apply for an independent contract, including displaced jeepney drivers, who need only a few requirements, aside from a professional driver’s license.

“All they (jeepney drivers) have to learn is to operate the app. Second, they have to get used to having one or two passengers now since they’re transitioning to cars now,” he added.

Applicants must also attend mandatory training seminars conducted by UTOL to familiarize themselves with road etiquette and traffic laws.

Unlike most TNCs, UTOL is homegrown and understands the Filipinos' needs. It offers social benefits to drivers despite a self-employed status.

Maningas shared that the company signed an agreement with SSS last month to subscribe to the latter’s new program that allows companies to subsidize the monthly premiums of its independent partners.

On top of that, drivers may obtain their own units through the TNC’s car ownership program along with an operator promotion, with assistance from UTOL’s partner dealerships and financing and law offices.

Comfort in competition

Last July, 19 TNVs acquired accreditation from Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), including UTOL. Easily this translates to what once was thought of as a monopoly led by the biggest TNC in Southeast Asia. Ride-hailing is now a booming market of logistics and rideshares in the country.

Being a newcomer in the TNC circle, UTOL, however, already has a few tricks up its sleeve that set it apart from its seasoned competitors, one being safety.

“[The] UTOL [app] has a built-in help button for drivers in case they find themselves in danger with their passengers. The same goes for passengers if they sense something unusual with their drivers,” Maningas explained.

It takes only 2 clicks

The safety feature works with two clicks on the button, which then registers an alert to the company's command center. The closest driver within the vicinity of the affected individual will serve as the first respondent.

“If law enforcement is needed, they will be contacted by the command center through reactivation,” Maningas added.

Passengers who are students, PWDs, or senior citizens may apply for a 20 percent discount on the app, which the founders say is not shouldered by the drivers.

Features undergoing development include a two-wheeler vehicle option, pickup and delivery, and advance booking.

Ocampo said that UTOL plans on tying up with hotels across the country and government agencies to arrange procedures concerning advance booking.

The two-wheel rides, on the other hand, await pending approval from Congress and facilitation by the Department of Transportation to operate as motorcycle taxis or motorcycle-for-hire vehicles.

Motorcycle taxi companies currently operate under a pilot run as per government guidelines.

Users can avail four-wheel rides only at the moment.

Its biggest downside is it remains in partial operation due to the pending dispatch of its 389 drivers and its recent TNC accreditation from LTFRB just this year.

Nonetheless, Maningas looks forward to officially launching UTOL’s services this month or in November after its available trial run on the app.

Looking ahead

Growth is the apple of an entrepreneur’s eye as a key element that helps a business and its employees thrive, regardless of how long it may take to be achieved. But what would become of it if it rests solely on bootstraps?

Likewise, UTOL’s growth is dependent on government opportunities, and expanding beyond their existing clientele in Metro Manila.

The company seeks to launch its services in Visayas and Mindanao, particularly in Cebu, Bohol, Tacloban, and Bacolod, where a high demand for ride-hailing services is observed, Maningas and Ocampo said.

“If we compare the franchise volume in Manila to Mindanao’s and Visayas’, the LTFRB has open franchise slots in those regions, so anyone who wants to start a TNC business can immediately avail one in any of those areas. Unlike here in Manila, the 5,000 slots opened by the agency last July have been taken. We’re hoping that by next month, there will be an additional 5,000 slots,” Ocampo indicated.

Maningas also shared that the company looks forward to opening a drivers’ academy for further improvement of UTOL’s service to help in the long run.

“We noticed that we need to continuously educate our drivers on their jobs so they can better make use of their skills as means to earn a livelihood, and so that they’d be reminded that their line of work is no easy task. Lives are at stake in this business,” Maningas explained.