The Pioneering Alatco Bus Company: Mobility in Early–Twentieth-Century Bicol

Abstract

Founded on 6 July 1914, the Albert Louis Ammen Transportation Company (Alatco) was the first bus company in the Philippines and the pioneer in Bicol’s motorized public transport system. Improved road conditions in Bicol in the early twentieth century were advantageous for the rapid development of motorized inland transportation. It was in this context that enterprising American serviceman Albert Louis Ammen realized the necessity of a reliable public transport business to assist the movement of people and goods. This article focuses on the Alatco’s evolution and emphasizes how its operation transformed various aspects of life in the Bicol Region.

KEYWORDS: TRANSPORT HISTORY • MOBILITY • MODERNITY • BICOL •AMERICAN COLONIALISM