BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Bataan on Tuesday marked a milestone in sustainable public transportation with the launch of the country’s first hybrid bus service operating on a provincial route, signaling a move to reduce fossil fuel use and lessen the environmental impact of mass transport.
Governor Joet Garcia led the ceremonial launch, announcing that hybrid buses operated by General Transport Service Inc. will now serve the Balanga City–Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) route.
The service is the first hybrid bus operation introduced for provincial travel in the Philippines.
Garcia said the initiative represents an important first step toward cleaner transport technologies in the province. He expressed optimism that a full transition to electric buses would follow once issues on capability and operating range are fully addressed.
“When the issue of capability and range is settled, we will hopefully shift to full electric buses, and Bataan province will be a major actor in that milestone event for the environment,” Garcia said.
He added that by the time the planned highway and bridge linking Bataan and Cavite are completed, electric vehicle (EV) buses are expected to be part of regular operations.
The governor stressed that the shift away from fossil fuel–dependent transport systems is not only a global trend but also an environmental necessity.
Genesis Transport, a Bataan-based provincial bus company serving routes to Metro Manila and Northern Luzon, is behind the adoption of the hybrid buses—an effort seen as a significant step toward greener provincial transport.
Garcia underscored Bataan’s long-standing commitment to environmental and climate concerns, noting the province’s role in major national developments, including the establishment of the country’s first export processing zone in Mariveles in the early 1970s, a major oil refinery in Limay, and the construction of the Philippines’ only nuclear power plant in Morong.