ILOILO CITY — Sen. Francis Tolentino joined the call to suspend the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), citing bureaucratic crisis as the main obstacle in the implementation of the program.
"The problem that arose was because of a bureaucratic initiative that resulted in a bureaucratic crisis resulting in a need for a bureaucratic solution," Tolentino told The Manila Times on Friday.
"I joined the call of some of my colleagues to suspend and study for a while," he added.
In a July 23 committee hearing, Senate President Francis Escudero urged Sen. Raffy Tulfo to file a resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to temporarily halt the program.
Tolentino criticized the Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for inconsistencies in the implementation of the program.
The senator said that since its launch in 2017, the PUVMP has created a series of issues in the transport sector, significantly affecting the commuting public.
Tolentino also pointed out that the loan subsidy for PUV operators purchasing modern jeepneys is insufficient.
"The government's subsidy for jeepney cooperatives is insufficient; it really can't cover everything. Even if you spend P6.3 billion, it's still not enough," he said.
The Department of Transportation is giving an equity subsidy of P280,000 per unit for PUV operators who purchase units under Class 2, 3, 4 classifications, while those who purchase Class 1 PUV units will be given a subsidy of P210,000 per unit.
The loan subsidy is part of the "5-6-7-8" financing package for jeepney drivers and operators, which provides access to loan programs from government banks. The package includes a 5-percent down payment, interest rate of 6 percent, a seven-year repayment period and P80,000 subsidy per unit.
According to state-run banks, a modern e-jeepney is priced between P2.3 million and P2.8 million, and some lawmakers argued that transport cooperatives need up to P7,000 per day to repay their loans and for drivers to earn enough for their families.
Tolentino added that there still needs to be a "balance," noting "the need to modernize and to have an efficient mode of transportation."
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