In 2007, Ceres Liner's Iloilo base pioneered travel between Iloilo City and Metro Manila through the Western Nautical Highway. Proving to be profitable, Yanson Group expanded its Metro Manila operations and established Ceres Transport in 2009, being based in Batangas City. It enabled bus services encompassing Cubao, Batangas City, Mindoro, Aklan, Antique and Iloilo.
In 2012, it bought out a franchise of Gold Star Bus Company and allowed it to operate its Batangas-Cubao and Batangas-Alabang routes. Later on, Yanson Group decided to create its own subsidiary Gold Star Bus Transport Incorporated, making it apart from Ceres Transport Inc.
In 2022, Ceres launched PITX - Zamboanga route which became the third bus company to have direct trips between Luzon and Mindanao following Philtranco and Davao Metro Shuttle.[1]
Branding
Ceres Transport was once a brand under Vallacar Transit Incorporated. The "transport" branding was once used to distinguish the Luzon-bound and those Ceres Liner buses at their former main base in Iloilo. Although Yanson Group had a practice to their bus branding such as "Liner" and "Tours" to differentiate their ordinary and air-conditioned buses, Ceres Transport does not have ordinary buses since it didn't click to Luzon market.
When Ceres Transport formed its own subsidiary and had its base in Batangas City, Yanson Group retained the Ceres Transport brand.
Base
Their subsidiaries are subdivided by bases. These are based on the area of their operation, and their base number shall be the prefix number for their bus fleets. Yanson Group started this practice in 2005 after they bought out Lilian Express Inc., and felt that re-organizing their company was needed.
Ceres Transport has several units from Chinese brand buses. Some of their fleets are also provided by their parent company's coach building division, Vallacar Transit Incorporated - Transport Engineering and Bus Body Assembly Plant (VTI-TEBBAP).
