GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) – The Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) has assured the transport sector that it will strengthen the cooperatives involved in the transport industry.
This is in accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order to go "full speed ahead" with the modernization program, OTC Chairman Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said during the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) road sector town hall meeting on Feb. 5, in General Santos City.
"Ang utos ng Pangulo sa amin ay palakasin kayo, pagandahin at patatagin namin and transportation cooperatives [The President's order is for us to strengthen you, make you better, and strengthen the transportation cooperatives]," Ortega conveyed.
He also guaranteed transport cooperatives that the OTC, along with the DOTr family, is steadfast in carrying out programs that will boost the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
"Ang DOTr family po ay focused na ipagpatuloy ang programa at lalo pa nating i-improve dahil ang alam natin ang programa na ito, at the end of the day, ay para sa ating mananakay, para sa ating mga commuters, para sa ating pamilya [The DOTr family is focused on continuing the program, and we will improve it even more because we know this program, at the end of the day, it’s for our riders, our commuters, and our families]," Ortega told hundreds of participants attending the event that bannered President Marcos Jr’s ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ brand.
Ortega said that several activities have been lined up for 2024, specifically to beef up the transport cooperatives.
According to him, these include seminars on handling employer-employee relations to be conducted with the Department of Labor and Employment and training on fleet management with the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies.
Ortega also elaborated that OTC will conduct comprehensive education campaigns on road use and road ethics, as well as monitor implementation by the transportation cooperatives of the PUVMP.
At least 59 transport entities—56 transport cooperatives and 3 transport corporations—attended the meeting, which was also part of the DOTr's 125th Founding Anniversary. (DED - PIA Region 12)
