Philtranco Service Enterprises, Inc. is a bus company in the Philippines, servicing routes to Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao Region, and Northern Mindanao. It is the oldest bus operator in the Philippines and in Asia. It is also the only bus carrier with a nationwide public transport franchise. Philtranco currently has more than 250 buses for its operations.
History
Philtranco was established in 1914 when Mr. Albert Louis Ammen and Mr. Max Blouse organized the AL Ammen Transportation Company, operating passenger buses from Iriga to Naga. In 1958, ownership was transferred to the Tuason family, and just before Martial Law, in 1971, to the Mantrade Group. It was then known as Pantranco South Express, Inc. Creditors took over and re-engineered the company in 1974, enabling a financial turnaround despite the series of financial setbacks that hit the country in the eighties. By 1979, the company expanded its coverage to the eastern Visayas region and went into ferry operations at the San Bernardino Strait three years after. In 1984, the company formally changed its name to Philtranco Service Enterprises, Inc. Two years later, in 1986, the LUZVIMINDA run was launched. This was the first archipelago-wide bus-cum-ferry operation which finally united the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Soon after, both cargo truck and air-conditioned bus services followed with the company’s Mindanao expansion. In 1997, a group of young businessmen who had had success in running their own transport companies acquired a controlling interest. However, after just 2 years, the group accepted an offer by Penta Pacific Realty Corporation. The company supported the Strong Republic Nautical Highway 2002 project of the government which opened opportunities for trade, commerce and tourism in the western Visayan corridor of the country. In 2003, the Philtranco central station was built at the heart of Pasay City. It features an automated passenger and baggage check-in system, fully air-conditioned pre-departure area, and a 24/7 staff committed to maintain the safety, orderliness and cleanliness of the station. The company further opened the route from Manila to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga in 2004; and subsequently, extended the connection to Subic..|alt= It also constructed the Cubao common terminal in Quezon City in 2005. Philtranco's terminal network functions not only as passenger stations but also provide repair, maintenance and refueling facilities for the fleet. There are currently thirty four terminals and sub-stations. Philtranco currently has 250 buses and provides transport services through Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and the Mindanao regions.
