The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is responding to the demand for more public transportation after the agency opened new slots for ride-hailing service vehicles.

In a recent announcement, the LTFRB opened a total of 8,750 slots for Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS). In Metro Manila alone, the LTFRB opened 7,500 slots in a bid to sustain the availability of public transportation amid the growing demand.

However, acting LTFRB Chairman Atty. Greg G. Pua Jr. said that the 7,500 TNVS slots for Metro Manila will only be exclusive to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs. Pua added that the move to make it exclusive only to PHEVs and BEVs is in line with the direction of the government for modern and environmentally-friendly public transportation.

During his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Marcos announced his continued support for modern public transportation and said the goal is to have half of all the vehicles on the road be electric vehicles by 2040.

The new ruling also follows LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2026-084, wherein “conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and other vehicle technologies that do not fall within the BEV or PHEV classification shall not be eligible for the slots opened”. This essentially means that hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are not eligible for the new TNVS slots.

Outside Metro Manila, the LTFRB also opened new TNVS slots in the Ilocos Region, Pangasinan, and the Bicol Region. Under LTFRB MC 2026-88, the LTFRB allocated 75 ICEs and 75 non-ICEs to Ilocos Norte, resulting in 150 new slots. The same allocation was also applied to Ilocos Sur and La Union.

Over in Pangasinan, 200 new slots were opened: 100 for ICEs and 100 for non-ICE vehicles. In the Bicol region, half of the 600 TNVS slots approved were allocated for EVs, based on LTFRB MC 2026-86.

Since hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are not included in the available TNVS slots for Metro Manila, this means HEV models from Toyota are not eligible. We reached out to Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) regarding the matter, and they said they have already communicated with the LTFRB.

According to TMP, Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), also recognizes HEVs as part of the EV classification. Moreover, the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS) also includes HEVs as part of the country's vehicle electrification strategy.

"We acknowledge the release of MC No. 2026-084, which opens additional slots for Electric Vehicle (EV) Taxi and Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) in Metro Manila including MUCEP Area, for Battery Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles. We also believe modern low-displacement engine technologies in today’s compact ICE vehicles have significantly improved in terms of fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Including these vehicles in the options can benefit both the operators and the riding public," said Toyota Motor PH in a statement.