Philippine Rabbit

Philippine Rabbit
Slogan "Our Reliability Rolls On"
Founded August 28, 1946
Headquarters Tarlac City, Philippines
Service area Manila-Northern Luzon, Philippines
Service type Provincial Operation
Routes Tarlac City, Angeles City, Pampanga, Camiling, Tarlac, Alaminos, Pangasinan, Baguio City, Benguet, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Fleet (UD Nissan Diesel, Hyundai, KIA, Daewoo, Sunlong, Higer)
Operator Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Inc.

Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Inc. (PRBL) is a provincial bus company in the Philippines. It was founded in 1946.

The company's area of coverage extends from Metro Manila to northern provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Pangasinan. Its main terminal in Metro Manila is in Avenida Sta. Cruz, Manila.

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Philippine Rabbit at Tarlac Terminal

Etymology

Mr. Ricardo L. Paras, the company's general manager, explains that the Company was named Philippine Rabbit in reference to the actual animal because of its speed and agility, not to mention how fast they pro-create. Secondly, the first acquisition of buses by the company then showed that the main body feature of the bus was shaped like the Rabbit. The Company was known then as PHILIPPINE RABBIT BUS COMPANY in 1948 until it was incorporated in August 1958 as the PHILIPPINE RABBIT BUS LINES, INCORPORATED or simply PRBL.

History

Philippine Rabbit was founded on August 28, 1946 with a trip to Divisoria, Manila with a stopover in San Fernando, Pampanga. It was then named Philippine Rabbit Bus Company. In 1952, they acquired front-engined International Harvester buses which operated from Manila to Moncada, Camiling, Victoria, La Paz, Concepcion and Tarlac City. The company was incorporated on August 28, 1957 with the business name Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Incorporated.

Philippine Rabbit was continuously expanding in growth and operation in the 1960s. It has acquired interest in distributing Mitsubishi brand of motor vehicle engines and spare parts in the country. On March 25, 1963, the PRBL incorporators organized the Bupar Motors Corporation as the exclusive distributor of Mitsubishi Fuso engines and spare parts in the country. The Corporation also included a bus body building plant and a tire recapping facility.

Philippine Rabbit was the first to introduce First Class bus accommodations in Western Luzon with the two-seater MAN White Rabbits, and the more innovative Philippine Rabbit Mini-Bus for short distance or local passengers. These PRBL Mini-buses were called the PRBL Mosquito Fleet.

In 1977 PRBL opened its Rabbitours Division in its Caloocan Terminal on 2nd Avenue to handle chartered trips for domestic tours. With the tax incentives the government gives to Tourism oriented companies, PRBL started acquiring air-conditioned buses. In the start of the 1980s, the Company started modernizing its bus fleet with air-conditioned buses servicing the routes to Baguio City, Balanga, Bataan, Laoag, Ilocos Norte, and Tarlac.

In January 1992, PRBL started its bus fleet rehabilitation. They announced the acquisition of 150 brand new air conditioned buses for its 3-year modernization program to meet the demands for safe and convenient travel on air conditioned buses. Twenty Mitsubishi De Luxe (2001 series) were commissioned in 1992; another thirty Nissan Diesel (Aero Bus Series) in 1993; Fifty Nissan Diesel (Flexi Series) in 1994, and another fifty Nissan Diesel (Euro Bus Series 3015) in 1995.

Labor Dispute and Losses

On April 5, 2004, the company's employees went on strike and demanded for the prompt payment of salaries and benefits, their 13th Month Pay, Retirement benefits, and service incentive pays, including the immediate updating of employees' SSS premium contributions and collected SSS Salary loan deductions. On April 7, 2004, DOLE Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas issued a Return-to-Work Order with PRBL Management promising to settle its obligations to the employees. The Company defaulted.

In order to regain losses after the strike, the company had to sell many of its assets, including bus units, franchises, and real properties. Its area of coverage was narrowed, since the company had to give up in favor of other players some of its routes.

Fleet

Philippine Rabbit currently maintains a fleet of UD Nissan Diesel, Daewoo, Hyundai, Kia, Sunlong and recently acquired Higer buses.

Destinations

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