In Photo: Three of the 10 units of low-bed buses start operating this week. More buses to follow.
- Bus service is first in the country
- City govt pursued the project after National govt lost interest
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Davao City will commence the first phase of its new Davao City Bus System (DCBS) this week marking a significant step toward modernizing the city’s public transportation.
City Bus Project manager and lawyer Tristan Dwight Domingo said the ten 12-meter low-bed buses will begin operations across multiple routes on December 5, 2025.
He said the buses will operate from Mondays to Saturdays from 6-10 a.m. and from 4-9 p.m. He added that the trial run will cover nine routes, with each bus making up to three trips per shift, depending on traffic.
Each bus can carry up to 90 passengers, with 46 regular seats, two designated for persons with disabilities, and space for at least 15 standing passengers.
A total of 124 bus stops have been set up for the interim system, which will operate free of charge during the initial learning period for the residents of Davao.
The city government, led by Acting Davao City Vice Mayor “Rigo” Rodrigo Duterte II, conducted a pinning ceremony on Thursday afternoon for the 22 bus drivers who will operate the initial fleet of buses.
Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who led the Dan-ag sa Davao and Pag-abli sa Pasko Fiesta in the evening, said the city decided to fund the buses on its own after delays in national government support.
“We have our Davao Bus. There are only 10 buses. It is supposed to be funded by the national government, but we cannot wait for that to happen since I think the administration has other priorities,” Mayor Duterte said.
The acting mayor emphasized that the city remains debt-free, allowing it to purchase the vehicles without incurring debt. He said the DC buses are for the people of Davao City.
“My only request is that we take care of the bus. Let us not misuse it. Davaoeños are known to be disciplined and responsible people, so we should show the same behavior when using our buses,” Mayor Duterte said.
He also noted that the complete Davao Public Transport Modernization Project is projected to cost around P70 billion. Despite the lack of national funding support, the acting mayor stated that the city is moving ahead.
“I believe that Dabawenyos are ready to move forward. If I am not mistaken, we are the first in the entire Philippines to invest in something like this for public transportation,” Duterte added.
The DC Bus Project Team will add real-time bus tracking and seat updates as the system grows, but the city has not yet released the full schedule for the subsequent phases.
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