Keeping the Jeepney’s Spirit Alive

FROM POSTWAR INGENUITY TO HYDROGEN-POWERED INNOVATION, FRANCISCO MOTOR CORPORATION IS REINVENTING THE ICONIC FILIPINO JEEPNEY WHILE PRESERVING ITS CULTURAL SOUL. AT THE HELM, CHAIRMAN ELMER FRANCISCO LEADS A FAMILY LEGACY GROUNDED IN PURPOSE, PUSHING TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE POWERED BY IDENTITY, TRADITION, AND TECHNOLOGY.

The very first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is pray,” says Francisco Motor Corporation (FMC) Chairman Elmer Francisco when asked about a typical day in his life. As the head of a company with more than 70 years of existence, Francisco knows that leadership goes beyond boardrooms and bottom lines, it is about staying true to one’s values and principles. For him, that means putting family first. “I bring my wife and son, Dominic, with me wherever I go, whenever possible,” he shares. “Having them close not only makes operations run more smoothly, since they’re involved in the business, but it also keeps me inspired.”

Francisco Motors today operates across multiple time zones, with research and development teams in Los Angeles, Germany, China, and Australia. Their mission: to develop and distribute electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles in 25 countries across the globe— many in Africa, where public transportation systems are in dire need of transformation.

Despite the company’s growing global reach, the chairman remains grounded. Afternoons are reserved for filtering through the thousands of messages he receives each day. There is a system of dedicated lines, filtered updates, and meetings carved into schedules like clockwork. Evenings, however, are for family again: home-cooked meals, shared shows on Netflix, and the gentle silence of togetherness.

A FAMILY BUSINESS FMC

has always been more than a vehicle manufacturer. It is a family story forged in metal, memory, and the movement of a nation. Heading the company today is its president and chief executive officer, Dominic, the grandson of its founder. But it is Dominic's father, Elmer Francisco, who remains the company’s steady compass. As chairman, Francisco continues to shape its direction, mentoring his son not as a successor by default, but as a leader raised through immersion.

Dominic did not step into a title. He was brought up in it. Francisco, whose own understanding of leadership was formed through years of working closely with his father, believes legacy is not simply inherited. It is taught deliberately and with care. The story of FMC begins not in a boardroom, but in a battered postwar Manila. In 1947, just two years after World War II reduced the city to ruins, a local artist and entrepreneur named Anastacio Francisco, together with his brothers Fernando and Jorge, pooled a modest capital of Php200 and opened a small painting shop. It was a humble operation, born of necessity. But from that workshop grew a company that would become one of the Philippines’ most iconic automotive manufacturers.

The streets of Manila then were littered with abandoned US military jeeps, which were mechanical relics of war, rusting under the tropical sun. Where others saw scrap, the Francisco brothers saw opportunity. With a blend of mechanical skill, artistic sensibility, and vision, they began converting those leftover military vehicles into something new: longer, sturdier passenger vehicles designed to meet the country’s evolving transport needs. “They weren’t businessmen in the traditional sense,” Francisco recalls. “My father was a mechanical engineer and my uncle was an artist, and both had the foresight to build something better from what was left behind.”

 The result was more than a new form of transport. The jeepney, part Jeep, part bus, wholly Filipino, became a fixture of daily life and a symbol of resilience. Over time, these vehicles were adorned with chrome accents, dashboard shrines, and hand-painted tributes to saints, barangays, or sweethearts. The streets came alive with their color and character. For decades, FMC was at the forefront of this transformation, not just building vehicles, but shaping a cultural identity on wheels.

FMC HAS ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN BY INNOVATION. THE SAME SPIRIT THAT ONCE TRANSFORMED SURPLUS MILITARY JEEPS INTO A FILIPINO CULTURAL SYMBOL NOW POWERS ITS SHIFT TO CLEANER ALTERNATIVES. FRANCISCO SEES HYDROGEN AS MORE THAN A TECHNICAL UPGRADE—IT’S AN EVOLUTION.

“We weren’t just manufacturing transport,” Elmer says. “We were creating something expressive, something uniquely ours.” As the Philippines now enters a new phase of transportation modernization, the very existence of the jeepney is under threat. Sustainability standards, government regulations, and the rise of electric vehicles are redefining the future of public transit. Yet FMC remains anchored to its roots even as it looks ahead. Under Dominic’s leadership, and with his father’s steady presence as chairman, the company is navigating this shift with the same creativity and resolve that first animated its founding.

The company that once turned the wreckage of war into a national icon is now steering toward a future that demands reinvention once again. But for Francisco, the mission remains unchanged: to build not only vehicles, but meaning. As he reflects on his father’s legacy, Francisco often remembers his father’s guiding words: “My father would always say that he founded the company not merely to create jeepneys. We create livelihood.”

THE GREEN LIGHT As FMC

keeps pace with the changing landscape of modern transportation, one focus keeps rising to the top: sustainability. Always a few steps ahead, Francisco has been pushing the boundaries when it comes to alternative fuel sources—and now, hydrogen fuel cell technology is shaping up to be a major part of FMC’s future.

When the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) was signed into law in 2022, it marked a turning point. For FMC, it wasn’t just another policy, it was the green light they had been waiting for. The company had already spent years developing electric vehicles; now it had the framework to bring those efforts to the streets. Today, FMC produces fully electric jeepneys designed from scratch, not converted from old combustion-engine units, but purpose-built with modern standards in mind. Many come equipped with regenerative braking, advanced lithium-ion batteries, and soon, hydrogen fuel cells. “Hydrogen?” Francisco repeats the question, a slight smile forming. “Yes. We're not just focused on where the world is today. We're preparing for where it’s going.” Hydrogen fuel cells offer a cleaner, more efficient alternative to traditional fuels. By converting hydrogen gas into electricity, they emit only water vapor, making them one of the most eco-friendly options available. For Francisco, it is an obvious fit for a country under pressure to clean up its transportation system. “Hydrogen fuel cell technology is a game changer,” he says. “It’s zero-emission, and it’s scalable. For us, it’s not just about keeping up with trends—it’s about future-proofing a national icon like the jeepney.” FMC has always been driven by innovation. The same spirit that once transformed surplus military jeeps into a Filipino cultural symbol now powers its shift to cleaner alternatives. Francisco sees hydrogen as more than a technical upgrade—it is an evolution. “We’ve always made the most of what we had,” he says. “This is no different. Hydrogen is just another way we’re meeting the future with our own brand of creativity and purpose.”

MODERNIZING THE ICON

While hydrogen fuel cells mark a bold leap toward the future, a key question remains: What makes the Philippine jeepney such a powerful cultural icon, and how can FMC modernize it without stripping away its soul?  For Francisco, it is all about preserving the distinct visual identity that has made the jeepney instantly recognizable for generations. “There’s the iconic horse on the hood, the trumpets, the egg shaped or fan-style rear fenders, the angular body and roof, and of course, the paintings that bring it all to life,” he explains. “Take any of those away, and the cultural symbol we know disappears. That’s what we work to preserve while introducing cutting edge technology.”

At FMC, innovation is not just about switching to electric or hydrogen power. It is about honoring the jeepney’s legacy while equipping it for a cleaner, smarter future. The company now offers a full lineup of electric vehicles, including the classic Francisco Passenger Jeepney, the sleek Elektron, and the compact yet powerful Kidlat. While the team continues to push hydrogen fuel cell development, Francisco is confident that these advancements will keep FMC ahead of the curve, without losing touch with what makes the jeepney uniquely Filipino. In 2018, FMC partnered with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to launch the f irst fully electric version of its iconic jeepney. The unit introduced a new standard in public transport, featuring automated fare collection, air-conditioning, and other upgrades designed to enhance both comfort and efficiency, without compromising heritage.

Still, the road to mainstream hydrogen-powered jeepneys comes with challenges. Infrastructure remains limited, with few hydrogen refueling stations available nationwide. The vehicles themselves also remain costly to produce. Yet Francisco is undeterred. “We’ve been working on this technology for years. All we need is the support,” he says, emphasizing the crucial role of government backing. FMC’s commitment to cleaner transportation dates back to the early 2000s, when it began prototyping electric jeepneys. But back then, the Philippines was not ready. “We tried,” Francisco recalls. “But the system couldn’t support it. There was no registration process, no vehicle category. EVs [electric vehicles] were considered anomalies.” He does not express regret, only clarity. “It wasn’t just bureaucracy. It was a mindset. We were ahead of the system.”

Today, Francisco continues to champion vehicles that are Filipino-made, Filipino-owned, and Filipino-operated. He notes a troubling trend: the government often looks abroad for new means of public transport while overlooking local innovators.

“If they want to modernize the jeepney, why not ask us, the actual jeepney makers, to do it?” he asks. FMC has the engineering skill, resources, and manufacturing capacity to build modern jeepneys powered by electricity and hydrogen. But scaling that vision across the nation remains an uphill battle. Even so, Francisco is hopeful. “We’re at the start of something important,” he says. “Just like the jeepney helped define Filipino identity, hydrogen-powered vehicles have the potential to redefine how we think about sustainable transportation,” he declares.

THE ROAD AHEAD

What FMC represents goes far beyond business. It is a cultural steward in motion. More than a legacy brand entering the electric era, FMC serves as a mirror, reflecting not only the Philippines’ past, but its potential. A nation shaped by reinvention finds itself echoed in a company determined to lead the charge toward a more sustainable and self-reliant future. Just as the original jeepney emerged from wartime castoffs and became a national icon, FMC is once again transforming what others discard, such as fossil fuel dependency, systemic inefficiencies, and climate inaction, into something uniquely progressive and Filipino. Where others see congestion, Francisco sees opportunity. Where some see scrap metal, he sees heritage. And where the road ahead appears uncertain, he sees the way forward. For Francisco, the destination has always been clear: a future driven not only by technology, but by identity.

WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING IMPORTANT. JUST LIKE THE JEEPNEY HELPED DEFINE FILIPINO IDENTITY, HYDROGEN-POWERED VEHICLES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REDEFINE HOW WE THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION.