MANILA, Philippines — Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has ordered the deferment of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) planned purchase of motor vehicles worth P50 million, redirecting the funds to upgrade the client service areas of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). In a memorandum dated Oct. 16, 2025, Lopez directed concerned officials to suspend the re-fleeting of vehicles for the DOTr central office, which was originally funded under the 2024 General Appropriations Act. The move, he said, was in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for government agencies to prioritize programs that directly benefit the public. “In compliance with the directive of the President to give the Filipino people the public transport and services that they need and deserve, the DOTr together with its sectoral offices shall undertake measures to improve delivery of services to the public,” the order stated. The P50 million allocation will instead be used to enhance LTO and LTFRB client areas, including facility improvements intended for public use. The DOTr said the procurement of new vehicles may be revisited in the following year, subject to the availability of funds. The announcement came as Lopez conducted his regular “commute check” to personally assess the daily experiences of Filipino commuters and identify areas for improvement. Braving early morning rain, Lopez began his trip at around 6:15 a.m. from Holy Spirit, Commonwealth, Quezon City, accompanied by Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor and LTFRB Executive Director Loumer Bernabe. He boarded a bus bound for Philcoa, inspected the nearby public utility vehicle stop, and later took another bus toward Kamuning. Along the route, Lopez noted improved traffic flow and a greater number of buses servicing the Commonwealth Avenue corridor, citing LTFRB’s earlier issuance of 500 special permits to increase bus availability and reduce congestion. The acting secretary said both the fund reallocation and on-ground assessments are part of the agency’s broader effort to “redirect resources where they matter most — in improving services that directly affect the daily lives of Filipinos.”