CEBU CITY – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7)-Central Visayas inaugurated its new building on Gen. Echavez St., Barangay Lorega San Miguel, here, last Wednesday.
Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino said that the new office building is apt and timely as the government continues to innovate and modernize the public transport system in the country as embodied in the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“I commend the efforts of the people behind this important milestone for LTFRB 7 for dedicating your time and hard work just to realize this long-awaited dream of having your very own home. This building is a testament of the agency’s determination and willingness to serve,” Dino said.
He said that there were challenges in the process of turning this dream into a reality, and even more so with the COVID-19 pandemic but despite all odds, and now, “we are witnessing the fruit of your painstaking struggles.”
The Duterte administration has a series of flagship programs to adapt with the evolving needs of the time, two of which are the “Build, Build, Build” program and the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, both co-existing in synergy, Dino noted.
Dino lauded the Department of Transportation under the leadership of Secretary Art Tugade for continuing to make great strides in transforming the country’s transportation sector to not only become more efficient but also more comfortable for the Filipino people.
There have been 18,000 units that have complied with the program since it was signed in 2017 and Dino said that the government is looking to modernize around 170,000 units.
“We understand that this has to transition gradually in consideration of our transport cooperatives and of course, our riding public. We hope that as we move towards modernization of mass transport, we are able to spur economic activities, attract investments, and facilitate efficient movement of goods and services in the countryside,” Dino added.