CDO to deploy free rides on Monday

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy has directed the city government to provide libreng sakay services beginning Monday, 6 April, following the announcement of PN Roa Canitoan Transport Cooperative (PONTRANSCO) that it halted operations on Friday, 3 April.

Government-owned vehicles will be deployed to assist affected commuters, including the mayor’s personal bus, City Hall coasters, and CDRRMD trucks. The libreng sakay service will begin on 6 April at 5:30 a.m., with a designated pick-up point at the Canitoan Police Station. Commuters may also coordinate through the contact number 0997-265-6076 for inquiries and assistance.

The City’s Crisis Committee–Transport Technical Working Group conducted an emergency meeting on Holy Thursday to address the halted operations of one of the city’s public transportation cooperatives, which began on Good Friday and will continue until further notice.

The agenda included the deployment of libreng sakay services at both the barangay and city levels, as well as a scheduled meeting with transport cooperative chairpersons on Monday afternoon to discuss long-term solutions while the disruption continues.

Present during the meeting were Canitoan Barangay Captain Lance Padla, City Administrator Atty. Roy Raagas, COCPO City Director Col. Dexter Paje, CDRRMD Chief Nick Jabagat, City Engineer Joel Momongan, RTA OIC Doy Ramiro, Acting City Information Officer Jade Adeser, and representatives from the LTFRB.

The PN Roa Canitoan Transport Cooperative (PONTRANSCO) earlier announced it would cease operations  due to rising fuel costs and lack of sustainable support for transport operations.

“Despite our appeal for voluntary fare adjustments, the current situation has made it impossible for us to continue operating without incurring heavy losses. We have raised this concern with the barangay and concerned government agencies, and we remain hopeful for immediate action and understanding,” it said.

Earlier, Luzminda Escobidal, president of the Northern Mindanao Federation of Transport Service Cooperatives, said transport groups are losing as much as P80,000 daily per cooperative as diesel prices exceed P100 per liter.

She added that long-distance bus routes, which previously generated at least P20,000 daily, now earn only around P10,000, excluding maintenance and employee salaries.

Escobidal said a temporary suspension of amortization payments for units acquired under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) would help operators cope with rising fuel costs.

Transport groups reported that around 12,000 modernized units are at risk—about 7,000 owned by cooperatives and nearly 5,000 by corporations—based on LTFRB inventory.

Launched in 2017, the PUVMP is a flagship program of the Department of Transportation aimed at replacing old public utility vehicles with safer, environmentally friendly, and compliant units.

Under its financing scheme, fixed monthly amortizations are set based on initial projections: Modern jeepneys for P25,000 to P32,000 per unit per month (10-year loan term at 6 percent interest) and modern buses for P38,000 to P45,000 per unit per month (12-year loan term at 5.5 percent interest).