Mindanao Buses: DMS

Davao Metro Shuttle

Davao Metro Shuttle Bus Company started as a taxi company in September of 1995 with forty (40) units of Kia taxi and sixty (60) units of Lancer taxi. It was then a partnership of Mr. Rey T. Uy and Mr. Reynaldo Alba. In the early part of 1996, the partnership decided to purchase the nineteen (19) nissan Airconditioned Davao Metro Shuttle mini-buses from Mike Ang. The route of these buses was Davao-Digos with its terminal located in Acasia Street, at the heart of Davao City. In September of 1996, the partnership was able to add thirty (30) brand new 58-seater Regular Airconditioned buses. Ten (10) of these were addition to Davao-Digos route and the other twenty (20) for the newly opened route Davao-Tagum.

The partnership has seen the fast growing company that should be complemented with a good system and a responsive management team to sustain its growth. In December of 1996, they hired Mr. Candelario Miculob, a systems and finance executive consultant from Hijo Plantation, Inc. to handle the matter for the partnership. True enough, Mr. Miculob made a systems and finance audit of the partnership and eventually incorporated the partnership into Davao Reyer Transport Services, Inc. in April of 1997.

The new corporation began looking for professional managers to complement with its desire to sustain the growth and improve more on the system of running the corporation. In July of 1997, they hired Mr. Rudy Alag as Finance and Administrative Officer and retained Mr. Jose Cyril Alba as Operations Manager.

In December of 1998, the corporation was able to purchase twenty (20) units of 43-seater non-aircon nissan buses for the Davao-Tagum route and two (2) Daewoo supercoach buses for the Davao-Digos route replacing two (2) dilapidated nissan mini-buses. During this time, however, the global economy plummeted to its all-time low. The company’s growth slowed down as well. After a thorough planning, the company decided to give up the taxi business and concentrated more on the bus operations

The management, cushioning the effect of the global economic slow down, decided to extend the route of Davao-Digos to Kidapawan to improve the load factor. After six months of operation in Kidapawan the company decided to go back to its original Davao-Digos route.

It was in year 2001 that the company added another eight (8) units of 45-seater non-aircon buses, six (6) units 49-seater Supercoach buses and six (6) 47-seater non-aircon buses. With these new buses, the company had started to get back on tract and devised plans to go on full throttle in expanding the operation.

In 2002, with its new management team, the company re-fleeted the other seventeen (17) units of Nissan mini-buses with five (5) units 47-seater Nissan non-aircon buses, six (6) units 49-seater Nissan rear-engine non-aircon buses, four (4) units 49-seater Nissan rear-engine direct drive airconditioned buses and two (2) units 49-seater Hino rear-engine airconditioned buses.

In the last quarter of 2003, the company decided to look for other routes that may turn around its financial setback. This was also the time when the Cosmo family in Monkayo offered their five (5) franchised units to the company and re-fleeted them with five (5) brand new units 62-seater hino rear engine non-aircon buses. And so the Davao-Monkayo route came about. By the flexibility rule of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the company fielded twenty two non-aircon buses to our Monkayo route. This brought the company back to its feet. This was also the time when Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation was established taking in the managers running the company as stockholders to boost their morale and personal income.

In February 17, 2004, Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation was finally recognized by Securities and Exchange Commission as a corporation. All the new purchases of the company were already made through the corporation. This was also the time that the company again ventured to Davao-New Bataan route by buying seven (7) Manhattan franchised units. The Davao-New Bataan route was born on November of 2004. During this year the company was able to purchase four (4) brand new units 62-seater Hino rear engine non-aircon buses and eleven (11) brand new units 49-seater Nissan airconditioned buses.

In 2005, the company continued its expansion by purchasing again seventeen (17) units 46-seater Nissan non-aircon buses and six (6) units 55-seater Hino non-aircon buses. These units were used to augment the increasing demand of passengers for the Davao-Monkayo and Davao-New Bataan routes.

After the peak season in December of 2005, the company experienced again another major financial setback due the relentless increase of fuel prices and the fare-war against the old buses running the Monkayo and New Bataan routes. In February of 2006, the company decided to go back to its old route of Davao-Kidapawan to optimize the operations. Again, the company was able to get on with its financial obligations.

With the continued support of the Pilipinas Hino Corporation, the company was able to purchase 10 units Hino Double Door deluxe buses which was being financed by PCI Leasing & Finance Corporation.

And in 2008 the company experienced some unforeseen circumstances that led to some financial losses. And eventually went back to its financial stability.

With its aim to go through a wide and even road, the company President/CEO Mr. De Carlo L. Uy hired a high caliber manager. Ms. Maria Wilma A. Jubilo CPA, MBA was installed as Finance Director along with other important people hired to help improve the company.

As the new team was completed with the addition of Engr. Mark Panganiban from Nissan as the new Engineering and Maintenance Manager, the President and CEO De Carlo UY ably assisted by Ms. Jubilo and Mr. Alag, the Management Team together with the Board agreed to have the First Strategic Planning Workshop and Team Building Activities conducted last March 29-30, 2010 participated by almost 50 Supervisors and Managers.

The planning was successful, we have created our first Vision, Mission and Goal Statements. “To be the most admired transport service company in Mindanao.” This is the company’s vision which leads the Metro Shuttle workforce to gear to its full speed for its realization. Thus, the president, board of directors, managers and the bus crews have never run out of heart to achieve its goals and the team has been in its ultimate gear to attain its company’s vision.

One of the action plans of the company after the strategic planning is the creation and finalization of the Table of Organization and the Salary Scaling of all the employees which took effect last April 1, 2010 for confidential employees and May 1, 2010 for Rank & File Employees. Culture change have been introduced focusing more on the quality of service to the riding public which rooted on the fulfilled and satisfied employees. Employees reorientation have been done and supervisors training have been go through to boost the morale of each and every employees.

In 2010, the company focused on the enhancement of personnel skills, fleet maintenance, payment of old accounts and settlement of long overdue accounts. For the first time the company paid all bus amortizations on time. We also scout for new routes and working on its franchises. We also draft policies. Quoted from the Davao Metro Shuttle website: http://www.davaometroshuttle.com/about-us/history/

Route:

**Davao City - Tagum City via Panabo City and Carmen**

**Davao City - New Bataan via Panabo City, Carmen, Tagum City, Mawab, Nabunturan, Montevista, Compostela**

**Davao City - Monkayo via Panabo City, Carmen, Tagum City, Mawab, Nabunturan, Montevista,**

**Davao City - Bansalan via Sta. Cruz, Digos City**

**Davao City - Malita via Sta. Cruz, Digos City, Padada, Sulop, Malalag, Sta. Maria**

Schedules and Intervals are found here: http://www.davaometroshuttle.com/services/daily-bus-transportation/bus-schedules-and-intervals/

The website of Davao Metro also has booking facilities.