The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will begin on Oct. 8 the regularization of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) units in Metro Manila that were onboarded by transport network companies (TNCs) before securing the required authority from the agency, a practice known as ‘tempo.’
The 30-day regularization program covers TNVS units operating under the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study Update and Capacity Enhancement Program and included in the validated masterlist submitted by TNCs.
The program, issued under Memorandum Circular No. 2026-111 pursuant to the directive of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, seeks to address ‘tempo,’ or the practice of TNCs onboarding TNVS units onto their digital platforms before the units obtain the required authority from the LTFRB.
The LTFRB said the practice violates its rules and regulations because it allows TNVS units to operate without valid authority.
Applications will be accepted for 30 days, and late submissions will not be accepted.
LTFRB Acting Chairman Greg Pua said the policy seeks to help thousands of TNVS drivers who relied in good faith on TNC onboarding and made substantial financial commitments as a result.
‘It is the policy of both the DOTr and the LTFRB that no driver or operator be left behind by a regulatory intervention occasioned by the fault of another,’ Pua said.
He said denying regularization to the affected units could disrupt transport services.
Pua, however, stressed that the policy applies only to unauthorized units included in the validated masterlist submitted by the TNCs.
‘The memorandum circular does not represent a general opening for new TNVS applications across the board, nor does it waive any administrative liabilities incurred by TNCs for onboarding unauthorized vehicles,’ he said.
Applications must be filed online through the LTFRB’s official platform or any digital portal designated by the agency.
Individual TNVS operators or accredited TNCs may file applications through their authorized representatives on behalf of drivers.
To qualify, vehicles must be included in the validated masterlist and pass a roadworthiness test at an LTFRB-recognized Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center.
The inspection results must be electronically transmitted to the LTFRB before it can issue a Provisional Authority.
Vehicles that exceed the standard seven-year age limit are ineligible, although overage units may be replaced with qualified vehicles under existing LTFRB rules.
Applicants will no longer need to manually upload Personal Passenger Accident Insurance policies. Instead, the insurance must be obtained from an accredited provider integrated into the LTFRB system, allowing policy details to automatically appear in the applicant’s online portal.