Dagupan Bus Company, Inc. is a provincial bus company operating along the northern and central regions of Luzon. In the course of history of the company, it has always been operated under the supervision of, and integrated with, different companies. To understand Dagupan Bus Company's beginnings, we have to look at the background of Villa Rey Transit, Inc., who sold its franchises to Dagupan's parent, Saulog Transit. Villa Rey Transit, Inc. was a Manila-based company which started as a sole proprietorship under the name of Dr. Jose M. Villarama. Before Dr. Villarama's stellar political career as vice-governor, and then governor of Bulacan in the 1960's, he was a well established businessman in the transportation industry, and probably started operation in the early post-war years. His areas of operation included Bulacan (his home province), Tarlac, and Pangasinan. His fleet of TPU buses and autotrucks would grow so large that people regarded Villa Rey Transit as Pantran...

Photo By: Ron Camia/PBPA Saulog Transit, Inc. is a bus company based in Cavite province. The company was named after the large Saulog clan, who, for generations, managed the company. Founded by Alejandro Saulog in 1946 as an incorporated company and operated and managed by his son Eliseo, it soon became a common name among passengers seeking travel from the province to nearby Rizal (now parts of NCR), Manila, and Zambales at the post-war period, a reputation which it holds to the present day. As a public utility operator, Saulog Transit plied the Naic-Manila, Cavite City-Manila, and Cavite City-Olongapo Zambales route since the late 40's and early 50's, in stiff competition with Luzon Bus Line (not to be confused with Luzon Bus Inc. of Bulacan) at the Naic route (before it closed in 1962), Victory Liner at the Olongapo route, and Saint Raphael Transit, owned by Jose Samala, in the Cavite City-Manila route. Samala was Saulog's archrival in the 1950's, and the two opera...

Southern Philippines Tribal Transport Multi-purpose Cooperative or SPTTMC, started as a local tribal service in 2016 for Lumad Tribe and Indigenous People of Panay Island and Mindanao, eventually they see some opportunity by applying the provision on Republic Act 8371 under Chapter 4, Section 13, “the right to pursue economic, social and cultural development”, under this provision they ventured and invested for their own independent economic activities thru transportation and several livelihood programs, part of this program is to ensure government support and acknowledge their independent economic activities, they filed a lot of cases, some are still on going and some are already closed or dropped. But because of unclear Guidelines of RA 8371, some government agency specially the Transportation Agencies, LTFRB and LTO didn’t acknowledged the existence and the operation of SPTTMC, resulting in apprehension and stopping the buses on mid trip, until today some of the buses are still on L...

  Photo By: Petersen Lim LTFRB opened a franchise application under the Memorandum Circular 2021-072 (Same Memorandum Circular with Davao City - Marawi City) with a route of General Santos City - Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte via Koronadal City/Tacurong City/Cotabato City/Pagadian City. This is one of the three Friendship PUB Routes that were opened by the Government to connect the different key cities in Mindanao to help boost the progress of people and businesses alike.  This specific Friendship route will connect the Cities of General Santos in the SOCCKSARGEN Region, will pass through the heart of the BARMM Region, and end in Dipolog City located in Zamboanga Peninsula Region. By connecting these 3 Mindanaoan Regions means progress, easy access to public transport, especially to those places that are very remote. Rural Transit of Mindanao Inc. will start linking the Boom City of The South, General Santos City, and the Gateway of Western Mindanao, the City of Dipolog in...

Photo By: Ron Camia Pamana Transport Services, Inc. is a bus company serving the Valenzuela-Baclaran corridor. Based in Barangay Malanday, the company was founded on April 5, 2000, by Angel C. Secerio, who used part of his money inherited by his parents to establish a business with aims to generate jobs, hence the name "Pamana". Pamana's two franchises were granted in 2003, one after another; one franchise authorized them to ply the Baclaran-Malanday via Ayala route with 16 units, while another authorized the Baclaran-Malanday via McArthur EDSA route with 6 units. The units Pamana operated during this period were non-aircondtioned Isuzu FTR buses supplied by Almazora, later complemented by fleets of Nissan Diesel Metrostar and Exfoh supplied by Santarosa.   Around 2010 (or possibly later), Pamana acquired assets of a competing company: that of Edgardo Mimay, operator of St. Martin of Tours Trailways (formerly known as Filipinas Trailways) based in Bocaue. Aside from...

  Photo By: Jed Mendoza Mindanao Star Bus Transport Inc. Launches Their Davao - Marawi Route on February 23, 2022 and February 24, 2022 as their Maiden Trip.  Last November 2021, LTFRB Region XI opened a franchise application under the Memorandum Circular No. 2021-072 with a route of Davao City - Marawi City This 431-kilometer route will connect Davao City to the Islamic City of Marawi, this route will be beneficial to both cities as the latter is still recovering from the ashes from the war that ravaged the city 5 years ago. It will also boost the inter-regional connections and progress as this route will traverse 3 regions of Mindanao, namely the Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, and BARMM. It will also help the people of BARMM especially the people of Marawi City to different aspects of life and opportunities in neighboring cities and help them to recover from the damages of war that flattened the city in 2017. On December 1 of the same year, LTFRB Region 11 declared t...

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...