The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved the opening of 8,750 slots for Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) in Metro Manila and two other regions in Luzon.

“The largest opening of slots for Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) is in Metro Manila, with 7,500, in a bid to sustain the availability of public transportation amid the growing demand due to increased tourism and other economic activities in the National Capital Region,” the LTFRB reported Sunday.

The agency noted that the 7,500 TNVS slots for Metro Manila will be exclusive to electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Under Memorandum Circular 2026-084, conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) other than PHEVs, and other vehicle technologies that do not fall under the BEV or PHEV classifications will not be eligible for the slots opened under the issuance.

“The classification of the vehicle as a BEV or PHEV shall be based on its registration and classification by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and other applicable government standards and issuances,” it added.

Acting Chairman Teofilo Guadiz? Wait, user says Pua. Keep. Acting Chairman Pua said the move is in line with the national government’s direction toward modern and environment-friendly public transportation.

The LTFRB noted that half of the 650 slots opened for the Ilocos Region will be for electric vehicles.

Based on LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2026-088, a total of 75 internal combustion engine and 75 non-internal combustion engine slots were allocated for Ilocos Norte, for a total of 150. The same allocation and vehicle classifications were approved for Ilocos Sur and La Union.

For Pangasinan, 200 slots were approved—100 for internal combustion engine vehicles and 100 for non-internal combustion engine vehicles.

In the Bicol Region, half of the 600 approved TNVS slots are allocated for electric vehicles, based on LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2026-086.

Acting LTFRB Chairman Pua stressed that the decision to open the slots was based on the results of monitoring and studies on prevailing transport conditions, which indicated insufficient TNVS allocation to serve the geographic coverage and increasing volume of commuters in Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region and the Bicol Region.

A separate review and study pointed to increased economic activity as one of the major factors, with expanding urban, commercial, government and tourism centers generating increased demand for safe, reliable, accessible and technology-enabled transport services for residents and visitors.

“We in the LTFRB are sensitive to the request and demand from the people, and the opening of the slots is also in support of the government’s aggressive economic push across the country,” Pua said.