After 111 Years, Philtranco Ends Its Run in March
We're saying goodbye to the oldest bus operator in the country.
Published on Feb 11, 2026
(SPOT.ph) After more than a century in operation, the Philippines' oldest bus company is reportedly shutting down.
Philtranco Service Enterprises Inc. will officially stop operations on March 30, 2026, according to a February 2 memorandum signed by CEO Michael Sabban. The internal memo sent to employees, management cited “serious business losses” as the reason for the shutdown.
“For years, we have fought an uphill battle to keep our wheels turning. However, due to serious business losses we can no longer sustain our business operations,” the memo states, adding that the shutdown was an “absolute last resort” after other options had been exhausted. “Due to the severity of these losses, the company is no longer in a position to sustain payroll. We are painfully aware of the impact this has on you and your families.”
Philtranco has not released a separate public statement as of writing, though its official Facebook page has updated its profile photo to a dimmed version of its logo.
Philtranco's journey from 1914 to 2026
Philtranco traces its roots back to 1914, when it began as the Albert Louis Ammen Transportation Company (ALATCO) in Iriga, Camarines Sur. At a time when organized provincial bus services were still limited, ALATCO operated routes within the Bicol region. Over the decades, it expanded beyond Bicol, operating under the name Pantranco South Express before becoming Philtranco Service Enterprises Inc. in the 1980s.
As infrastructure linking Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao developed, Philtranco built a reputation for long-haul provincial routes. Its buses connected Metro Manila to Southern Luzon, as well as to parts of Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao.
By the mid-2000s, Philtranco was marketing itself as more than just a bus line. It was running integrated land-and-sea routes, linking provincial bus trips with ferry segments across regions.
In the years that followed, it joined the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, gradually phasing out older units starting in 2014. In 2016, it teamed up with Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation and Jam Liner in an effort to expand its combined bus-and-ferry services nationwide.
Earlier in 2025, Philtranco and its subsidiary Amihan Bus Lines temporarily suspended operations due to financial difficulties before later resuming trips. It currently has terminals at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), Southwoods in Biñan, Laguna, and Turbina in Calamba, Laguna, among others.
"Those were the days"
Following news of the closure, social media was filled with recollections from passengers and former employees.
Frequent commuters from the 1970s and 1980s said Philtranco was the line they kept coming back to—even as the buses themselves changed. They remembered the era of non-air-conditioned units with open windows, then the shift to air-conditioning on long-haul provincial trips. They chimed in with praises for the operator's consistent service across its fleets.
“I was a regular commuter of this company in the mid-seventies and satisfied with the service. Never had an accident and praises to the drivers and conductors and later to lady stewardess.. Maraming, maraming salamat.”
More recent memories included pandemic-era travel: “During COVID-19 nakauwi ako noon mula Pasay to Cagayan de Oro last trip na noon... na save ako dahil sayo Philtranco.”
Beyond nostalgia, several users described growing up with a parent who worked as a conductor, inspector, or driver for the company. To them, Philtranco wasn’t just a bus company but a source of steady employment.
“My dad is a retired driver/conductor of Philtranco (from Alatco to Pantranco then Philtranco)... Yan ang hanapbuhay ng tatay ko noon...I am very proud to say nakapagpa-aral siya sa aming mga anak... At nearly 90, my dad still drives, this time his own car.”
"Thank you Philtranco... Proud daughter here of one of the most outstanding driver of the Philippines from Philtranco transport..Papa Joe(retired)...my free school bus during my high school days(Sorsogon) to college(Legazpi Albay). Dagdag baon din...nakarating ng Visaya's dahil sayo Philtranco sinasama kami ng Papa namin sa byahe. So many memories to remember with you, our beloved Philtranco."
Also read: Whatever Happened to the Double-Decker Buses That Used to Ply Metro Manila’s Roads?
Micah believes that writing is always political. Beyond the byline, you’ll find her bruising herself on a pole or doting on her beagle. Reach her at micah@spot.ph.