President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday approved a three-month extension for the consolidation of franchises for jeepneys and UV Express units.

In a statement, Presidential Communication Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil made the decision based on the recommendation of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

"This extension is to give an opportunity to those who expressed intention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off," Garafil said.

She said the new deadline for the franchise consolidation is on April 30, 2024. Earlier, the deadline was set at Jan. 31, 2024.

Marcos made the announcement after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on its website that more than 300 jeepney routes in Metro Manila alone still have not consolidated entities.

A House panel approved on Wednesday a resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to reconsider the implementation January 31 consolidation deadline under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez, who authored the House resolution, made a motion requesting the President to extend the deadline for the franchise consolidation until the government can come up with “concrete plans” to address major issues linked to the implementation of the modernization program.

Some transportation groups warned that commuters may find it difficult to go to work if the government will not amend the transport modernization program. DMS-Jaspearl Tan