Multiple violations greeted Senator Raffy Tulfo during his inspection of the motor pool of several bus companies in Metro Manila.

After visiting bus companies, Tulfo, who chairs the Committee on Public Services, conducted a random surprise inspection at the motor pool of various bus companies in Metro Manila on Monday, April 14. Among those he checked out were Cisco Bus Co./Five Star Bus Company Inc., Victory Liner Inc., and GV Florida Transport Inc.

He was accompanied by personnel of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO,) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

"Mahalaga ang pag-iinspect sa mga motorpool ng mga public utility bus sapagkat dito isinasagawa ang preventive maintenance at pagkumpuni sa mga bus upang makita na rin kung tama ba ang pamamaraan ng ginagawa nilang maintenance at pagkukumpuni – kasama na rito kung certified ba ang kanilang mga mekaniko ("Inspecting the motorpools of public utility buses is important because this is where preventive maintenance and repairs are carried out. It also allows for checking whether their maintenance and repair procedures are being done correctly—including whether their mechanics are certified)," he said.

"Dito bumulaga sa akin ang samu’t-saring violations. Una, bilang Vice Chairman din ng Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, nakita ko ang kaawa-awang kalagayan ng mga mekaniko (This is where I was confronted with a range of violations. First, as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, I saw the pitiful condition of the mechanics)," he added.

For one, Tulfo said he noticed that all of the motor pools he visited lacked proper safety gear for its workers.

For instance, in one motor pool, Tulfo shared that the machines and equipment used for bus maintenance were filthy and lacked safety covers. He added that the electrical lines were tangled and some were haphazardly tapped.

"Ito ay lubhang mapanganib at takaw aksidente para sa mga trabahador dahil maari silang masugatan, maputulan ng daliri, makuryente o mabulag (This is extremely dangerous and accident-prone for the workers, as they could get injured, lose a finger, get electrocuted, or even go blind)," said he.

He said the workers also lacked gloves, work boots, aprons, and safety goggles.

He then asked the motor pool managers to present TESDA certifications for their mechanics, but most of them had none. Although some bus companies were partially compliant with TESDA requirements, their training procedures were outdated, according to the TESDA representative who joined the inspection.

According to him, other bus companies had no proper preventive maintenance or warranty booklets for each bus unit, which would make inspections by LTFRB and other agencies more difficult, adding that some did have complete digital records, but only partial compliance in terms of TESDA certification.

"Mahalaga ang TESDA certification dahil dito itinuturo sa kanila ang tamang pag-handle ng vehicle maintenance para sa kaligtasan hindi lamang ng mga pasahero pero maging sa mga mekaniko na rin ("TESDA certification is important because it teaches them the proper way to handle vehicle maintenance—not just for the safety of passengers, but also for the safety of the mechanics themselves)," he said.

The senator also noticed that one motor pool had an under-chassis or service pit with no safety markings, creating a risk for workers who might trip. He stressed that said motor pool also lacked proper ventilation, and the area was extremely hot, causing workers to inhale various chemical fumes which is a long-term health hazard.

He gave all motor pool managers a deadline to comply and submit the maintenance and compliance records of each bus unit to the LTFRB, LTO, and TESDA. These agencies, in turn, will forward the records to Tulfo for upcoming Senate hearings of his committee.