MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday announced that the iconic Love Bus would make a comeback to provide commuters free rides.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, Marcos said the popular bus service would be launched anew, with a pilot test planned for Cebu and Davao, and soon after that, for expanded implementation in Mindanao.
“Now, we will not only bring back the Love Bus, we will also make it free. For now, it is just a pilot test in Davao and Cebu. This will be followed by other places in the Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.
The Love Bus, introduced in the 1970s on various Metro Manila routes, was the first and only air-conditioned public bus service of its time. The operations were halted due to poor profit.
In 2023, Makati revived the iconic Love Bus—this time as smaller, eco-friendly units powered by renewable energy.
Cebu City is set to launch its Bus Rapid Transit system this year, while the Asian Development Bank is funding the Davao Bus project, or the Davao Public Transport Modernization Program.
For Metro Manila, Marcos said an additional 45 train sets would be deployed along the Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3) this year from three new train sets currently operational.
“Nearly 50 coaches sat idle for 10 years. That’s wasted money, a wasted decade,” he said. “But now, we’ve fixed it.”
The President said three of the Dalian carriages were now operational, with more expected to be deployed before the end of the year.
The 48 light rail vehicles were procured in 2014 under a P3.76-billion contract with China’s CCRC Dalian Co., but remained unused due to weight and system compatibility issues.
Alongside efforts to improve rail infrastructure, Marcos also announced expanded fare discounts and new commuter benefits for Filipino families.
“The previous 20 percent fare discount at LRT and MRT for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and students has been raised to 50 percent,” he said.
