History
Owned and operated by the clans of Paras and Nisce, natives of Tarlac City, Philippine Rabbit operates to and from the Metro Manila and northern provinces along strategic routes.
They started with front-engined International Harvester buses to run the Manila-Ilocos route, taking over the franchise formerly owned by Halili Transit; with its northernmost terminal in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. They went on to the familiar rear-engined Isuzu buses with red livery with a yellowish-brown stripe with blue trim, illuminated destination indicator and illuminated company logo on the bus' front, bus numbers prominently displayed on strategic areas (including the roof), the words PHILIPPINE RABBIT on the side edges of the roof, and route codes on its bumpers--the iconic hallmarks of a Philippine Rabbit bus. Some of the units then featured panoramic windows and are painted white with red stripe in the middle and red lettering (dubbed as the "White Rabbits," which served as tourist buses for Rabbitours) -- an upgrade of their earlier buses. Their rivet-studded bodies, built exclusively for the company by BuPar Motors (also owned by the owners of Philippine Rabbit), were maintained to exact specifications by their skilled mechanics. In 1963 they also once operated Manila Motor Works-bodied Hino luxury buses with red-and-yellowish-brown livery and panoramic windows as their "First Class" buses; as well as operating Fuso units with aluminum bodies built by BLTBCo's body-building department.
During the early 90's, the company supplanted their fleet with the latest-model white air conditioned UD Nissan Diesel, Hino and Mitsubishi Fuso buses, which, at the time, were the most modern in the country. The company then has employed a new livery for its recently-acquired bus units, but colors from the old red buses were still used in these buses.
The company was on its darkest times in the late 90's and the first part of the following decade. Its workforce led a strike, which resulted to temporary suspension of the company's operations.
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.
Philippine Rabbit may have managed to survive from its crises, but is presently in its efforts to recover and regain its former status in the past. It continues to strive to be at par with leading bus companies in terms of number of buses and providing quality and reliable transport service to its patrons.
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