President Marcos has declared Oct. 19 every year as Transport Cooperative Day, citing the cooperatives' significant contribution to promoting collaboration and advancing public transportation.

In his Proclamation No. 723, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Oct. 28, Marcos highlighted the need to recognize transport cooperatives' role in improving the country's transport sector.

"Through the years, transport cooperatives have played a significant role in promoting government-cooperative sector collaboration, empowering communities, and advancing public transportation, as highlighted in the success of the Public Transport Modernization Program," the President wrote.

"There is a need to recognize the significant contributions of transport cooperatives in ensuring the advancement of the Transport Cooperative Program (TCP) and in providing meaningful and responsive service to the transport sector, as well as to agencies, institutions, and individuals," he added.

With this, the President ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to lead the yearly observance of Transport Cooperative Day.

All other government offices including state universities and colleges, local government units, nongovernment organizations, and the private sector, are urged to actively participate and support the DOTr and the LTFRB in its programs for the said observation.

In 1973, the government established the TCP to study the ways and means to encourage public utility vehicle drivers to organize themselves into cooperatives.

Proclamation No. 279 (s. 1993) declared Oct. 18 to 24, 1993, as the "Transport Cooperative Week" to recognize the TCP and mark its 20th founding anniversary; and recognize those who continue to make the program "strong, vibrant, purposeful, and responsive" to the needs of the Filipino people.

In August this year, President Marcos said the modernization of public utility vehicles (PUV) would continue, saying the program was favored by the majority, and suspending it would allow the minority to dictate the fate of the entire public transport system.

He cited that the government has already reached an 80 percent consolidation rate, which, he said, warrants the program to push through.