Wednesday, September 29, 2021

344. Brand Stories: DANGWA TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, 1928

BADO DANGWA, Gounder of Dangwa Tranco

DANGWA has become synonymous with blooms and flowers, so that when one needs them for special occasions, one is directed not to Dimasalang St. but to—“Dangwa”, where the buses that drop these flowers all the way from Baguio have their terminal. The bus line owes its name to Igorot maverick Bado Dangwa, a La Trinidad Agricultural School graduate.

DANGWA, 1960, screengrab from igorotna youtube post

DANGWA BUS, 1970. from the blog 'Home Court'

His ambition to be a teacher was put on hold when his school principal James Wright, convinced him that there was a better future in the transportation business. To get him started, Wright provided the cash-strapped Dangwa 5 Chevrolet cars discarded by the North Garage transport service. Dangwa was suddenly in business, using these cars to ply the La Trinidad-Baguio route.  Thus the DANGWA TRANSPORTATION COMPANY was born.

DANGWA TRANCO, Fleet no: 578,Bus Manufacturer:Santarosa
Motor Works Inc., Model: SR SDX,Taken: East Ave., Quezon City,
 posted by markstopover on flickr.com

Eventually, he would grow his fleet from just 3 cars in 1928 to 173 vehicles at the onset of World War II. After the war where he served as a guerrilla leader, he put the Dangwa Transportation back on its feet, and which continues in business today with its modern fleet of  air-conditioned buses. Dangwa would later become the governor of the Mountain  Province.

 WATCH "DANGWA TRANSCO"
The Beginning and Early Years,  uploaded by igorotna
20 Sep. 2020

SOURCES: Dangwa Tranco, The Beginning and Early Years, youtube, uploaded by igorotna, 20 Sep. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofy4l4lW2pA

Home Court, https://rusa4.wordpress.com/tag/dangwa-tranco-bus-1970/

Dangwa Terminal FB Page

Flickr.net: Posted by markstopover, DANGWA TRANCO, Fleet no: 578, Bus Manufacturer: Santarosa Motor Works Inc. (Philippines), Model: SR SDX, Shot Taken: East Ave., Quezon City

Gutierrez, Lazaro, Memoirs of Baguio 1901-1960, Summer Capital Publishing House, p. 215.

Fry, Howard T., A History of the Mountain Province, New Day Publishers, Quezon City, Philippines, © 1983

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