The new and youthful management of Victory Liner Inc. is ready to face the challenges brought by the pandemic even as they vowed to be resilient and steadfast, while guiding the venerated transport firm toward more years of service to the Filipino riding public
The management of Victory Liner, Inc. (VLI), one of the largest bus conglomerates in the Philippines, has turned over the reins of leadership to a new generation that is tasked with charting the firm's more vigorous and successful future.
In a virtual turnover ceremony held last February 16, Gerarda Villa, chairman of VLI’s board of directors, turned over her position to Johnny T. Hernandez, who in turn handed over his position of president and general manager to Marivic Hernandez-del Pilar.
Marivic Hernandez Del Pilar from campfiremedia
Third generation
Del Pilar represented the third generation of the Hernandez clan, who operated VLI since it was founded in 1945.
She has also served as the company’s vice president for finance and marketing as well as treasurer.
Meanwhile, Alma Veronica “Vernie” Abcede, who currently heads VLI’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm Doña Marta T. Hernandez Foundation, succeeded Del Pilar as the company’s treasurer.
“Umaasa po ako na ibibigay ninyo sa mga bago nating pinuno ang buong pagmamahal at suporta upang mapalawig pa natin ang ating mga gawain,” Villa said in her speech.
“Nais ko ring magpasalamat sa ating mga empleyado na patuloy pa ring naglilingkod sa atin sa gitna ng nagpapatuloy na pandemya,” she added.
Reinvention
The move comes as the company continues to face the challenges of a slump in transportation services brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the imposition of lockdown last March, the company was forced to lay off 400 of its employees in June after bus services in Luzon ground to a halt.
Despite the challenges, however, VLI was able to “reinvent” itself by focusing on providing cargo services in Northern and Central Luzon.
VLI has also resumed limited passenger services in Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Nueva Ecija and Benguet as the Philippines shifted to general community quarantine (GCQ) status last year.
Rich history
The bus company played a major role in transport industry since it became the product of Japanese occupation of the country after World War II.
Its founder, Jose I. Hernandez, a pre-war mechanic, collected bits and pieces of machinery, metals and spare parts from abandoned U.S. military vehicles intending to build a delivery truck from scratch.
He intended to use the vehicle for his family's buy-and-sell business of rice, corn, vegetables and their home-made laundry soap.
Upon completion of the truck, he was surprised to see that what he envisioned to be a delivery truck turned out to be more like a bus.
Start of an era
It prompted his town mates to use his vehicle as their main source of transportation when going from one place to another.
On October 15, 1945, Mr. Hernandez's first bus plied the Manila-Olongapo-Manila line that practically started the era of VLI as one of the country’s main transport firms.
He was the driver and Leonardo D. Trinidad (a brother-in-law) was his conductor, and the rest as they say is history.
Later on, the Hernandezes incorporated the business and became one of the main transport modes in the country ferrying passengers and goods to and from Manila and the provinces.
One of the biggest
Today, Victory Liner has grown to become one of the biggest bus transportation business groups in the Philippines, servicing all key destinations in Northern and Central Luzon.
Victory Liner deploys more than 900 buses in its daily operations. It is the sister company of Five Star (ONT)