Cagayan de Oro — On the sideline of the Ist Mindanao Transport Summit held March 8, 2025 here, Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP) National President Orlando Marquez had again push for drastic changes in the public transportation sector like the inclusion of a curriculum of transport regulations in the Department of Education (DepEd) and providing insurance for Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) driver-operators.
“For our drivers to be called professionals, the DepEd should consider our request for the inclusion of transport regulation in the current curriculum,” said Marquez, “Even though PUV drivers have professional licenses, their knowledge compared to other professionals is lacking of substance.”
Marquez said the lack of knowledge had contributed to the high number of road accidents in the country, citing records that road accidents had caused untimely deaths in the country.
According to the Department of Health says road traffic accidents are the leading causes of death worldwide for young people, Marquez said, highlighting the urgency of the issue.
In addition to education, Marquez is urging to equip drivers of insurance coverage. “I feel sorry for drivers who have heart attacks, heat strokes, or die while driving. They can not even afford a coffin. The majority of our drivers do not have insurance,” Marquez said.
The LTOP President had expressed concern for operators and drivers who cannot afford to buy modernized jeepneys under the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP). He urged the government to prioritize the PTMP, citing to the growing number of motorcycles on the road, attributing it partly to the decrease in jeepney ridership and the rise of motorcycle taxis.
This trend in the in the country’s public transport system worsens traffic congestion, he said. Marquez supports the transport modernization, calling for sustainable
funds to help the transport sector forthe realization of PTMP implementation, he said.
LTOP fully supports business groups like the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in pushing the country’s transport sector become world-class, attuned to the UN declaration of clean environment under its Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) that calls for affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030, ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy and teansport services.
