06/09/2026
𝐋𝐓𝐅𝐑𝐁 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞
𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝐋𝐓𝐅𝐑𝐁 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝟖,𝟕𝟓𝟎 𝐓𝐍𝐕𝐒 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐂𝐑, 𝐈𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥
Amid the growing demand for public transportation due to increased economic activities, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), under the guidance of DOTr Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Z. Lopez, has approved the opening of a total of 8,750 slots for ride-hailing service in Metro Manila and two other regions in Luzon.
The largest opening of slots for Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) is in Metro Manila with 7,500 in a bid to sustain the availability of public transportation amid the growing demand due to the increased tourism and other economic activities in the National Capital Region.
Acting LTFRB Chairman Atty. Greg G. Pua, Jr., however, pointed out that the 7,500 TNVS slots for Metro Manila will be exclusive for electric vehicles that include Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
“Conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) other than PHEVs, and other vehicle technologies that do not fall within the BEV or PHEV classifications shall not be eligible for the slots opened herein,” the LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2026-084 read.
“The classification of the vehicle as a BEV or PHEV shall be based on its registration and classification by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and other applicable government standards and issuances,” it added.
Acting Chairman Pua said the move is in line with the direction of the national government for a modern and environment-friendly public transportation.
In his recent State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. committed support to modern public transportation and said the goal is to have half of all the vehicles in the road to be electric vehicles by 2040.
In approving the slots for TNVS, Acting Chairman Pua said they made sure that the national government’s goal of pursuing an electric vehicle public transportation is factored in.
Aside from Metro Manila, he said half of the 650 slots opened for Ilocos Region are for electric vehicles.
Based on the LTFRB MC 2026-88, a total of 75 internal combustion engines and 75 non-internal combustion engines were allocated for Ilocos Norte for a total of 150. The same allocation and mode were approved for Ilocos Sur and La Union.
For Pangasinan, the approved slots are 200—100 internal combustion engines and 100 non-internal combustion engines.
In Bicol Region, half of the 600 TNVS slots approved are allocated for electric vehicles too based on LTFRB MC 2026-86.
Acting Chairman Pua said all the decision on the opening of the slots was based on the result of the monitoring and study about the prevailing transport conditions which indicates insufficient TNVS allocation to serve the geographic coverage and increasing volume of commuters in. Metro Manila, Ilocos Region and Bicol Region.
He said the feedback from various stakeholders also boosted the need to increase the allocation due to prevailing passenger demand.
A separate review and study pointed to increased economic activities as one of the major factors—expanding urban, commercial, government, and tourism centers that generate increasing demand for safe, reliable, accessible, and technology-enabled transport services for residents and visitors.
“We in the LTFRB are sensitive to the request and demand from the people and the opening of the slots is also in support of the government’s aggressive economic push across the country,” said Acting Chairman Pua.
According to the LTFRB, the application for the available slots will start once the memorandum circulars relating to this decision is published in a newspaper with general circulation. #
