Know Your Bus Series: Dela Rosa Transit Corp.

Photo By: Josh Manguera/PBPA

Dela Rosa Transit Corp. is a bus company operating in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. Founded by spouses Rosauro Sr. and Nora Dela Rosa sometime in the early 90's, it serves as a parent company to two other subsidiaries, Dela Rosa Express and N. Dela Rosa Liner.

Available public records show that Dela Rosa Transit was first officially authorized to operate buses sometime in 1993, when its franchise at the Pacita-Novaliches via Malinta Exit was approved by the LTFRB. Its first franchise allows Dela Rosa Transit to run 5 units, and later in the year was granted another franchise for additional 5 units. Its first 10 units consist of Nissan Diesel buses built by Santarosa Motor Works, then already a popular choice among metro bus operators, having been extensively used by operators under the Metrobus umbrella.

The years 1996 and 1997 saw the Dela Rosas expanding towards the south. The spouses established N. Dela Rosa Liner, Inc., applying for the GMA-Ayala route alongside the Simundacs' Saint Rose Transit and the Perez's ALPS The Bus, Inc., all of which were granted in 1996. Shortly after this, in 1997, N. Dela Rosa Liner applied for an intra-regional route plying San Pedro Laguna - Batangas City, which was granted; another route, San Pedro-Lucena, would be awarded to them as well sometime after.

At the turn of the millenium, Dela Rosa would become even more successful and expansive. The year 2002 would see them establish a third company, Dela Rosa Express Inc., with approved routes to San Andres and San Francisco in Quezon comprising 2 units each. Dela Rosa Transit started its expansion plans as well, applying and being granted 6 franchises at the Pacita-Nova route for additional 32 units. In 2003, Dela Rosa Transit would add yet another 39 units spread across 3 franchises.

N. Dela Rosa Liner would prove to be the most lucrative of all three companies by the decade of 2000. In 2003 and 2004, the company was granted franchises to Batangas, Lucena, Calauag, and Tagkawayan, altogether comprising 95 units. Dela Rosa, already being known among Batangas folks by this time, would use this year to become established at the Lucena route, then dominated by JAC Liner and JAM who had acquired popular Tritran.

As the years went by, the Dela Rosas were set for success. Dela Rosa Transit is popular for commuters living at the west side of Novaliches and along General Luis Road, being one of the only regular buses passing thru those areas. Dela Rosa Express and N. Dela Rosa Liner continue to serve the Lucena-Alabang and Batangas-Alabang corridor they are famous for. In 2018, N. Dela Rosa Liner was awarded the Alabang-Lawton and Sucat-Lawton point-to-point route package as the only qualified applicant of the route, as affirmed by LTFRB Board Resolution 044 series of 2018.

When Dela Rosa Transit started operations, their units bear the uniform of city buses at the time: orange, black, and blue straight cheatlines along the body. Their first aircon units were painted with criss-crossing orange, black, and blue lines but otherwise retained the simplicity of liveries of their time. N. Dela Rosa Liner's first livery, in contrast, features a full depiction of hills, river and trees, complete with flying birds. It was in N. Dela Rosa units where the corporate logo was first used: a setting half-sun, shaped like the letter D, with the letters "SN" emblazoned at the bottom right.

Starting around 2002, the company's new livery consisted of curved shapes that form a bird-like object, possibly a "sarimanok" (a colorful bird in Filipino mythology) whose feathers are as colorful as Dela Rosa's current livery.

Historically, the Dela Rosa companies operated fleets consisting of Nissan Diesel, Mitsubishi Fuso, MAN, King Long and Hino units. Many of these buses (except the Hino ones) have given way to Hyundai, Kia, Daewoo, and Golden Dragon buses. In the recent years, Dela Rosa Transit started utilizing Zhongtong low-entry buses, while its provincial counterparts chose modern Volvo B7R and B8R coaches, to widespread acclaim and excitement. The Dela Rosa group operates over 200 buses across its flagship routes.