Thirty-six public utility jitneys (PUJs) under the Loakan Jitney Transport Cooperative are now allowed to cater to residents of Loakan Proper Barangay, Particularly Purok Ongasan, who are affected by the resumption of operations of the Loakan Airport.
This was revealed during the Baguio City Council’s regular session last March 20.
Upon the request of the City Engineering Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Cordillera Administrative Region (LTFRB-CAR) had granted special permits to these 36 PUJs to ply on the route Baguio City – Ongasan via Runway Access (Bleeding Heart-PEZA), Loakan Road, and vice versa.
These 36 PUJ units are divided into odd and even groups. Eighteen units belonging to the odd group are authorized to operate on the said route during odd calendar days while the other 18 units belonging to the even group are authorized to operate only on even calendar days.
Atty. Laird Dionel Urbanozo, LTFRB-CAR representative, stressed that these 36 PUJ units are not allowed to pick up passengers along roads that are covered by the route serviced by other transport cooperatives. This was the agreement during one of the consultations attended by the Loakan Jitney Transport Cooperative and other concerned transport cooperatives, Urbanozo said.
The request for jeepney units to service the affected community originated from a resolution passed by the city council in December 2022. In the said resolution, the city council tasked the City Engineering Office to coordinate with LTFRB-CAR to study the possibility of an additional transport route for the benefit of the affected residents.
Also, in that resolution, the city council broached the idea of creating either an underground road network or an alternate route to address the inconveniences experienced by the community as a result of the regulated hours given to pedestrians and vehicles in crossing the runway for safety reasons.
However, the Department of Works and Highways Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO), in its response to the council’s resolution, was not keen on the possibility of constructing an underground road network as it requires tunneling work “which will impede the re-opening of the Loakan Airport.” The office further suggested that a feasibility study and detailed engineering of the proposed underground road network be prepared by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
As for the proposal to create an alternate route, DPWH-BCDEO suggested that the said alternate route start from the junction of Ongasan-Demonstration Mines Road towards the fire station, leading to Heaven’s Garden Cemetery with a total length of .45 km. The pre-detailed engineering done by the BCDEO revealed that the proposed project would cost P119.9 million.
The BCDEO, however, said the construction of the proposed alternate route cannot be undertaken by their office since projects that are of “local concern” and “with no national significance” should be implemented by the concerned local government unit in light of the supreme court’s ruling on the Mandanas-Garcia case and other DPWH issuances.
As an option, the BCDEO suggested that the city government initiate the acquisition of funds needed for the proposed construction of an alternate route with the help of the office of Congressman Marquez Go.
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan and Councilor Benny Bomogao, however, urged DPWH-CAR to consult its legal department and find out if the latter can implement the construction of the said alternate route in accordance with the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling. **Jordan Habiling
