Metropolitan Manila Transit Corporation
The Metropolitan Manila Transit Corporation was a government-owned and controlled corporation that operated as a transport company in Metro Manila, Philippines.
At its peak, MMTC operated several bus routes across Metro Manila. It was best known for its "Love Bus" service and double-decker bus routes.
History
After World War II, the pre-war tranvía streetcar system in Manila was left destroyed, leaving a gap in the city's public transport infrastructure that was subsequently filled by buses and jeepneys. Loose regulations, however, resulted in a fragmented public transportation system in Manila and its suburbs dominated by independent transport operators who competed against each another, resulting in inadequate services.1970s to 1980s
During the martial law period under Ferdinand Marcos, efforts were made to address the problem, as Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 492 on June 27, 1974, which established a government-owned and controlled corporation called the Manila Transit Corporation. The MTC would serve the role of integrating all public transportation operations in the region under a single corporate entity, thereby streamlining services and eliminating the issues caused by the proliferation of independent transport operators. It was created with a capital stock of ₱10 million divided into 3 million shares. Of these shares, one million shares may be sold to individuals or entities operating public transport vehicles in Metro Manila.On May 12, 1975, MMTC commenced its initial bus operations, introducing an ordinary bus service with a fleet of 30 units on the Monumento–Pasay Rotunda route.
On November 7, 1975, Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 824, establishing Metro Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Commission. Following this, on December 25, 1975, the MTC was renamed as the Metropolitan Manila Transit Corporation and its focus was expanded to cover the newly created metropolitan area through the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 860. The decree also exempted the MMTC from regulation under the Public Service Act.
On January 26, 1976, the Love Bus was launched by the MMTC. It was popularized as the first air-conditioned bus service in the country, as well as its strict observance of timetables. By May 1977, the Love Bus had carried over 5.34 million passengers, with a study in February 1976 reporting that 38 percent of passengers used to travel by private car or taxi, with many drawn to the service due to its clean, uncrowded, and air-conditioned buses.
On June 27, 1977, Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1168, increasing MMTC's corporate stock to ₱25 million divided into 6 million shares. The number of shares was then increased to 26 million shares through the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 1465 on June 11, 1978. Around this time, the MMTC reportedly had over 2,500 bus drivers and conductresses and 491 employees in its administration and maintenance departments.
On July 23, 1979, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 546, creating the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and designating the MMTC as an attached agency of the MOTC.
By 1980, the MMTC shifted from its original role in monopolizing all public transport operations in Metro Manila to supporting private operators through integrating fewer but larger bus consortiums, acting as a government tool for achieving broader social and developmental goals, such as pioneering new services and routes.
In 1982, the MMTC reported its first profitable year. This would be the only year it generated a profit during its first ten years of operation.
On March 20, 1985, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 1011, creating the Land Transportation Commission as an attached agency of the MOTC. The order removed MMTC's exemption from regulation, placing it under the authority of the LTC.
At some point in the 1990s, the Love Bus was discontinued due to significant losses incurred by MMTC.
Privatization and dissolution
Following the People Power Revolution in 1986, which led to Marcos' resignation, the subsequent Aquino administration shifted government policy focus towards the deregulation and privatization of state-owned enterprises, including those in the transport sector. During this period, MMTC's net worth declined between 1983 and 1987 and its debt-to-equity ratio increased. In response, the government recommended the privatization of MMTC through the Asset Privatization Trust.In 1991, a USAID-funded study conducted by PwC affiliate Joaquin Cunanan & Co. assessed MMTC's financial biability. The study advised against the immediate privatization of MMTC due to the company's liabilities and risk of defaulting on its loans. Instead, it recommended liquidating MMTC's operational assets, including its bus fleet, while retaining its bus leasing and financing functions.
During the Ramos administration, Secretary of Transportation and Communications Pete Nicomedes Prado issued DOTC Department Order No. 92-587 in 1992, which introduced a liberalized policy framework for the transport sector. The framework encouraged increased competition, reduced direct government involvement, and aimed to streamline regulatory processes. These reforms effectively ended MMTC's monopoly on Metro Manila's bus routes and contributed to the return of fragmented and competitive bus operations, which the company had originally been created to manage.
In 1994, a study group was formed to develop a plan for MMTC's privatization. After several failed attempts at liquidation, MMTC was sold to its blue-collar employees on April 10, 1995 in a formal ceremony at Malacañang Palace. The company's remaining fleet of 155 buses were then acquired and operated by four cooperatives formed by former employees: the United Workers Transport Corporation, the Drivers, Conductors, Mechanics Multi-Purpose Transport Service Cooperative, Filcomtrans, and Fastrans.
Following its privatization, MMTC maintained a skeletal workforce of 12 employees focused on liquidating its assets, auditing the four groups operating its former buses, and collecting outstanding payments from prior obligations. After the company had completely ceased operations in 1997, its remaining assets were sold and auctioned off.
The northern terminal and garage on the corner of North Avenue and Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City was demolished and returned to the National Housing Authority. The area of that property was then developed in a joint venture between Ayala Land and the NHA into Vertis North, which is part of the Triangle Park (Quezon City) business district. On the other hand, the southern terminal in Taguig was demolished and returned to Food Terminal Inc., which leased the lot and much of the area to the Shoppers Paradise FTI Corporation in the 2000s, then sold most of the area to Ayala Land in 2012, developing most of the area into Arca South.
Love Bus revivals
Since the discontinuation of the Love Bus, many Filipinos have called for the revival of the Love Bus in an effort to address traffic congestion and encourage private car owners to take public transport.In 2015, the Department of Transportation and Communications introduced the Premium Point-to-Point Bus Service, an express bus network with fixed schedules and limited to no stops in between terminals. The service has been likened to the Love Bus due to its improved service, premium amenities, and emphasis on attracting private car users to use public transport.
In 2023, Ayala Land and the LTFRB launched e-jeepneys on the Makati Loop route between One Ayala and Circuit Makati in a Love Bus-like livery.
In 2025, during his fourth State of the Nation Address, Philippine president Bongbong Marcos announced that the Love Bus will be revived. Marcos stated that the proposed revival will offer free rides and pilot testing is already ongoing in Cebu City and Davao City.
Bus consortia
During the Marcos administration, the MMTC was one of a few consortia of bus companies based in Metro Manila, while the other consortia consisted of private bus companies. This was a result of Marcos ordering on June 21, 1976 that all bus companies in Metro Manila should be reorganized into four consortia, with MMTC acting as the fifth consortium.However, due to different management and logistical problems encountered in reorganizing the bus operators, the requirement was relaxed to nine consortia and the MMTC through Letter of Instruction No. 532 signed on April 20, 1977. Each consortium was required to have at least 200 operating units and bear the consortium's marks and colors on its units. Any bus companies not part of a consortium would have their certificate of public convenience revoked. The deadline for merging into consortia was moved several times from June 1977 to December 1979. The guidelines in Letter of Instruction No. 532 were then replaced by a new set of guidelines made in 1980 through discussions between the bus companies and then-Minister of Transportation Jose P. Dans
| Consortia | Number of companies | Number of authorized units | Number of actual units |
| North-South Center Line Consortium | 16 | 461 | 381 |
| M.C. Transit, Inc. | 1 | 258 | 253 |
| De Dios-Marikina-Yujuico | 9 | 227 | 244 |
| MD Transit | 2 | 269 | 219 |
| JD Transit, Inc. | 2 | 277 | 277 |
| Guadalupe-Makati-Pateros Operator's Consortium | 20 | 320 | 272 |
| Eastern Carrier Corp. | 18 | 187 | 142 |
| Sapang Palay-Novaliches Bus Operator's Consortium | 23 | 188 | 314 |
| Manila Southeast Transit Consortium | 28 | 239 | 206 |
| Metro Manila Transit Corporation | 1 | 600 | 587 |
| Total | 120 | 3,076 | 2,889 |
Fares
In 1977, ordinary buses in the Philippines had a fare of ₱0.25 for the first 5 kilometers and ₱0.05 per succeeding kilometer. By 1984, both ordinary buses and double-decker buses had a fare of ₱0.80 for the first and ₱0.21 for each succeeding kilometer. Limited buses operated on a flat rate system with a fare of ₱0.70 per zone with a special fare of ₱1.85 per zone.The Love Bus also similarly operated on a flat rate system. A year from its launch, the fare was set at ₱1.50, which increased to ₱2.50 in 1979. This amount had increased to ₱5.50 by 1984, ₱8.50 by 1990, and ₱10.00 by 1994.
Routes
In 1984, MMTC operated 54 ordinary bus routes, 28 air-conditioned bus routes, five limited bus routes, and three double-decker bus routes.Love Bus routes
In 1984, MMTC operated 28 Love Bus routes, where 27 routes were within Metro Manila limits while one route was between Metro Manila and Rizal. The first Love Bus route was launched between Escolta and the Makati CBD in 1976 and was its most profitable route.In 1987, the number of Love Bus routes was reduced to 14 routes:
- Cubao - Escolta
- Cubao - Ayala
- Buendia - Ayala
- Buendia - Greenhills
- Greenhills - Crossing
- Crossing - Ayala
- U.P. - Ayala
- U.P. - Guadalupe
- PNR - Ayala via Monumento
- PNR Monumento - Crossing
- Muñoz - Ayala
- Muñoz - Crossing
- PNR - Ortigas
- West EDSA - Ayala
Fleet
The MMTC operated several types of buses, each with varying specifications. The ordinary and limited buses were wide, high, and long. The ordinary buses had a seating capacity of 59, while the limited buses had 58 seats. The double-decker buses measured in width, in height, and in length, and had 100 seats. The Love Bus measured wide, high, and long, with a seating capacity of 54.The Love Bus formerly ran on a fleet of air-conditioned buses that had a monocoque body design, which was considered a significant milestone at the time as before 1975, all buses in the Philippines were flatbed trucks mounted with wooden bodies. Its former fleet initially consisted of buses made by industry giants Hino, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo, then expanded into then-lesser known brands such as Ford, Fiat, and four other companies.
The MMTC was also known for maintaining bus operations even during heavy rains or flood. During the curfew under the martial law period, the MetroCom would also direct the MMTC to deploy buses to rescue stranded commuters.
In May 1977, the MMTC operated a fleet of 609 buses, consisting of 100 Hino Ordinary units, 50 Volvo B57 units, 162 Fiat 331A units, and 147 Ford B-1617 units. The fleet also included 60 Mercedez-Benz buses and 10 Berliet buses of unspecified models. The Love Bus service at the time was served by 100 Hino buses of an unidentified model.
In 1980, MMTC became the first company in the Philippines to operate double-decker buses, using 22 Leyland Atlantean AN68 units configured with 100 seats in a 3x2 arrangement.
The 1984 JUMSUT report estimated that there were 40 double-decker bus units, 370 Love Bus units, and 100 limited bus units in operation as of February of that year.
Between 1986 and 1990, the fleet size of the MMTC decreased from 520 units to 484 units. In 1991, double-decker buses and trailer buses were discontinued by MMTC. In that same year, MMTC acquired 92 Nissan shuttle minibuses manufactured by the Columbian Motors Corporation. These operated on routes connecting Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City to Lagro Subdivision, the SSS Village and city proper in Marikina, and in Rizal province, the municipalities of Angono and Cainta.
By 1992, MMTC operated 475 buses, which increased to 485 units in 1993. Despite the increase, the number of operational vehicles declined from 390 units to 334 units during this period. In 1994, leading up to its privatization, MMTC disposed 197 non-operational units and transferred roughly 200 shuttle buses to private operators.
Taxi operations
In 1975, to address a shortage of taxis, the MTC ventured into taxi operations with an initial fleet of 50 Harabas Taksi taxicabs manufactured by the Francisco Motors Corporation. These were also supplemented by a fleet of 50 Ford Escorts in 1977.Taxicab drivers were given a chance to own their vehicles through daily installments for a period of two years. Once the installments are paid in full, drivers are invited to join a semi-cooperative plan, where the driver could avail bulk purchases of spare parts and maintenance services from MTC.
At its peak, the MMTC operated a fleet of 248 taxicab units of various models. Taxi operations were eventually phased out in July 1983 and were sold on April 7, 1984 to the Metro Manila Taxi Service Cooperative, a private entity created to assume MMTC's taxi operations.
Board of directors
The MMTC was governed by a board of directors consisting of six ex-officio cabinet members. The board was chaired by the general manager or governor of Metro Manila, who also served as the MMTC chairman. The other board members included the Secretary of Transportation and Communications, who acted as Vice Chairman, the Secretary of National Defense, the Secretary of Industry, the Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Public Highways, and one additional member appointed by the President of the Philippines, with a term limited to two years.Notable incidents
- On May 24, 1987, a MMTC bus was grounded and used as a barricade along EDSA during a rally organized by supporters and candidates of the Union for Peace and Progress and Kilusang Bagong Lipunan parties, who were protesting allegations of electoral fraud in the 1987 Philippine Senate election.
- On June 17, 1992, thousands of MMTC workers conducted a sitdown strike at multiple MMTC depots and terminals due to unpaid rice subsidies, delayed salaries, and alleged graft and corruption in a bus maintenance contract. The strike coincided with work slowdowns at other bus companies, leaving only 20 buses out of over 300 buses operating in Metro Manila, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. The next day, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court granted a petition filed by MMTC president and general manager Antonio Nery to order the workers to put an end to the strike and remove all barricades and picket lines. Nery alleged that the strike had resulted in daily losses amounting to about ₱100,000 and denied the allegations of corruption. He further denounced the strike as "blackmail" and "sabotage" and vowed to press charges against the MMTC workers' union leaders who organized the strike.
MMTC v. D.M. Consortium, Inc.
In the aftermath of the 1989 Philippine coup attempt against the Aquino administration, bus operators JD Transit, Inc. and DM Consortium Inc. ceased operations, causing disruption to bus services. In response, President Corazon Aquino issued Memorandum Order No. 267 on December 7, 1989, directing the Department of Transportation and Communications to temporarily direct or take over the operations of the two transport companies.On December 9, 1989, MMTC repossessed DMCI's buses, occupied its offices, and attempted to auction off 228 repossessed buses that it was leasing from MMTC, alleging that DMCI had defaulted on its amortization payments. DMCI responded by filing for a temporary restraining order against the public auction, which was granted on April 11, 1990.
MMTC filed a motion for reconsideration of the restraining order and a petition for certiorari, but these were denied by the courts. In 1995, the Regional Trial Court ruled in favor of DMCI, finding no legal basis for MMTC to repossess the buses or sell them at auction. Both MMTC and DMCI filed motions for reconsideration, with MMTC arguing it was justified to do so under a lease-purchase agreement, while DMCI argued that MMTC did not ensure just compensation as required by MO No. 267. DMCI also sought damages, claiming the buses had deteriorated during the prolonged legal battle.
In 2001, the Court of Appeals upheld the decision against MMTC and ordered additional compensation, including ₱2 million for DMCI's offices. MMTC appealed to the Supreme Court, contesting the ruling on the repossession and the ₱2 million compensation. The Supreme Court denied MMTC's appeal in 2007, affirming the Court of Appeals’ decision.