By Hannah Torregoza The Senate Employees Transport Service Cooperative (SETSCO) on Monday launched the first of the modern jeepneys under the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP). Fifteen units of modern jeepneys approved by the DOTr at Senate Building in Pasay, June 18, 2018, plying the CCP Complex and Mall of Asia routes with a minimum fare of P20. The units are seen to replace old dilapidated jeepneys. (Czar Dancel/MANILA BULLETIN) SETSCO, a transport cooperative run by Senate employees since 2004, was chosen by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to launch the first pilot operation of 15 of the modern jeepneys which has been granted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) permit to operate within the areas of Pasay City and Parañaque City. In January this year, old members of SETSCO, with some new members joining the cooperative had decided to band together and complied with all the requirements prescribed by the DOTr to become joint owners of 35 franchises granted by the LTFRB. The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has funded the 35 modernized jeepneys of SETSCO. Remedios Venturina, chairperson of SETSCO, said being chosen as the first cooperative to launch the modernized jeepneys “is a huge step towards a better and sustainable public transport.” “SETSCO is the first to accept the challenge to formally replace old jeepneys with safe, reliable and environmental-friendly public utility vehicles (PUVs) to ply the routes granted by the LTFRB,” Venturina said. “SETSCO will provide the required convenience and safety to the riding public as its air-conditioned PUVs are equipped with electronic devices such as global positioning system(GPS), closed-circuit television (CCTV), Wi-Fi, TV monitor and automatic fare collection (enabling cashless operations),” she added. Present at the launch were Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, DOTr Undersecretary for Roads Thomas “Tim” Orbos, LTFRB head officials, and several Senate employees. The LTFRB granted them routes that will start from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP, fronting Star City) via Atang Dela Rama St. to Diokno Boulevard; passing GSIS and the Senate, earth globe-Mall of Asia, up to the almost finished Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), then back via Macapagal Ave. The modern jeepneys have also been permitted to pass through Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-Aseana, right turn to EDSA taking a U-turn before reaching Roxas Blvd., then to MOA, right turn to Diokno Blvd. toward the CCP terminal. PITX is a four-hectare facility along Coastal road and is the first intermodal public transport terminal in the country providing seamless transfers, fixed departure schedules and centralized ticketing system for provincial buses from Cavite and Batangas.