OTC holds online board meeting, accredits 18 TCs
Despite the ongoing community quarantine, the Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) continues to perform its main functions as it accredits 18 new transport cooperatives for the months of March to May 2020.
The OTC Board held an online meeting last Monday, 25 May 2020. After careful deliberation, the Board has awarded six TCs (four PUJs, one UV Express Service, and one taxi service) with full accreditation. Meanwhile, twelve (seven PUJs, and five UV Express Service) were awarded with provisional accreditation.
Also included in the agenda was an informative discussion on the Memorandum Circulars of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Engr. Ronaldo Corpus of LTFRB informed the body of the following: M.C. No. 2020-016 (Mandatory Online Filing of Request for Selected Transactions), M.C. No. 2020-017 (Guidelines for Public Transportation on Areas Under General Community Quarantine), and M.C. No. 2020-020 (Installation and Use of RFID Tags for PUV Units Using Tollways).
The Board also approved the three-month extension for the validity of issued Certificates of Good Standing scheduled to expire on 30 June 2020. With this extension, the validity of said Certificates would last until the 30th of September this year, giving the TCs ample time to process important transactions and renewals.
OTC PMO Ms. Megan Matias reported the series of regional teleconferences headed by OTC PMO Regional Desk Officers. To date, there is now a total of six teleconferences held nationwide, specifically in Region I, VI, VII, IX, X, and XII. All teleconferences were presided by OTC Executive Director Eugene Pabualan. In the meetings, TC leaders raised issues and concerns on several topics including but not limited to: extension of CPC consolidation, PUVMP loans, social amelioration program, and application for the LTFRB Special Permit.
Also discussed by the Board were matters from the previous meeting. Most of which were status updates on operations amidst the imposition of a ‘new normal’ due to the pandemic. Particularly, the board discussed the progress of the revised guidelines on the issuance of TC accreditation, and endorsement for the Cooperative Development Authority. The compliance of TCs previously awarded with provisional accreditation was also brought up in the meeting.
Moreover, the further development of the Koopihan: Ugnayan, Talakayan, at Dulugan Project was discussed. The Board has decided to schedule guestings for other Board members in future episodes.
In attendance were OTC OIC Chairperson Medel H. Afalla, OTC Executive Director Eugene M. Pabualan, Department of Labor and Employment Assistant Secretary Mariano Alquiza, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Representative Engr. Ronaldo F. Corpus, Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group Representative P. Colonel Oliver Tanseco, and OTC Board Secretary Ramil Henderson S. Urrera. Also in attendance was Samuel Abello, the designated representative for the transport cooperative (TC) sector.
Management staff from OTC were also present, namely Officer-in-Charge AFD Eleanor C. Mupas, Officer-in-Charge Planning and Evaluation Division Pearl Jane Baculi, and Operations Division Chief Cresenciana Galvez. Also in the meeting were representatives from the OTC Project Management Office, Bonita Rhed Elinoe Palad and Megan Matias, and from OTC Legal, Atty. Christian Oberio.
