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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Love Bus returns to Metro Manila roads on Saturday

Love Bus returns to Metro Manila roads on Saturday

Published Sep 12, 2025 03:20 pm
(DOTr photo)
(DOTr photo)
The iconic Love Bus of the Martial Law era will once again parade the streets of Metro Manila with the launch of two routes on Saturday, Sept. 13, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
Transportation Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor said the DOTr will launch the program in Valenzuela City, with routes heading to Quezon City and Parañaque City.
From Valenzuela Gateway Complex in Paso de Blas, commuters can reach Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and the headquarters of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Constitution Hills, Quezon City.
The two sites were chosen by the DOTr as the test run of Love Buses in the capital region will primarily accommodate persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Providing direct access to PITX will allow PWDs to easily connect to other routes, particularly in Southern Luzon, while access to the DSWD ensures that they can reach essential government services.
Pastor said the DOTr will utilize an all-electric fleet of 10 buses for the launch on Saturday.
He said these units are specifically designed to cater to PWDs.
Similar to the ongoing pilot test of Love Buses in Cebu City and Davao City, the DOTr will offer free rides during peak hours.
Launched last month, free rides on Love Buses in the two cities run from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m.
Under its service contracting program, the DOTr tapped bus and modern public utility vehicle (PUV) operators to operate buses and electric vehicles (EVs) under the Love Bus initiative.
During his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced that the government will relaunch Love Bus, which was implemented during the time of his father, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Love Bus, known for its blue color scheme and heart symbols, was originally launched in the 1970s and was recognized as the country’s pioneering air-conditioned public bus transport system.
Pastor, who oversees the road transport and infrastructure office, said the DOTr is targeting to transition the Love Bus program into full operations next year.
“We will have funding for this next year. So, in terms of full [operations], we will start next year throughout the whole country,” he said on the sidelines of the 2025 Transportation Forum hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) on Thursday, Sept. 11.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said earlier that the Love Bus program has been allocated ₱1.3 billion under the proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.
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