Second week of transport strike begins

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MANILA, Philippines —  The second week of transport strikes begins today with public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators, along with commuters, pressing the government for concrete action to address soaring fuel prices.

Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said more than 20 strike centers are staging protests across Metro Manila and other major cities in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, involving jeepney, bus, transportation network vehicle services (TNVS) and motorcycle taxi drivers, along with commuter groups and other sectors.

Despite President Marcos’ declaration of a state of national energy emergency, transport groups felt the government is ignoring the roots of the fuel crisis.

“By declaring a ‘state of national energy emergency’ without the urgently needed price controls and the dismantling of the Oil Deregulation Law, the Marcos Jr. administration is offering the public nothing but an illusion of control,” Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) said in a statement.

“Tasking the Department of Energy to merely monitor ‘profiteering’ is a toothless gesture as long as multinational oil cartels remain legally empowered to dictate extortionate pump prices at will,” it added.

Piston said the creation of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport committee “threatens to entangle much-needed relief in layers of exclusionary bureaucracy.”

“In essence, EO 110 only tries to treat the symptoms while protecting the disease. We challenge the administration to stop hiding behind empty bureaucratic declarations in an attempt to improve their plummeting trust ratings,” it said.

For the transport group, the government’s response is “short-term and inadequate aid.”

“While they have the funds and power, we, the drivers and workers, are forced to endure, save and sacrifice even though we have nothing left,” Manibela said.

“The fare increase was suspended but there is no wage increase. How can families survive when both income is being dragged down and expenses are increasing? This is not a solution but a cover-up of the real problem,” it added.

Manibela called on the national government for concrete solutions such as oil price control and wage hikes to address their concerns.

“Along with this crisis, there must be clear steps to protect the people. Implement price control on oil. Provide a significant wage hike. Hold those who earn money accountable amidst the suffering of the majority,” Manibela said.

“We will not allow ourselves to always be the ones to share. We will not allow ourselves to be silenced while our sector and our families starve while the giant oil companies indulge in their pleasures,” it added.

Piston stressed the need to remove the value-added tax and excise tax to ease the expenses of PUV drivers, demanded “direct and unconditional” fuel subsidies for all PUV drivers and operators and called for the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law.

“Anything less is a betrayal of the Filipino working class,” the group said.

Mitigation

As the strike continued, the government started rolling out some mitigation measures to ease the burden on Filipinos.

The Department of Transportation announced that it will provide free rides using its P1-billion service contracting budget, with allocations for both the maritime and land transportation sectors.

The program will be route-specific and may initially be implemented during peak hours.

Asked about possible fare hikes, DOTr chief Giovanni Lopez said President Marcos directed agencies to prioritize commuters through subsidies, free rides and discounts.

“The point of view of the President is for everyone, like inflation. We need to prioritize (fuel) subsidies, free rides, talk to toll operators and give discounts. If your budget is not enough, let’s add what is needed,” he said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), for its part, vowed to expand aid distribution to affected drivers.

A total of 22,937 TNVS drivers have received P5,000 each in cash relief assistance, representing 84.39 percent of the target beneficiaries.

The agency said it will conduct a special payout for PUV drivers not included in the initial list, advising them to submit their names and valid driver’s license to their respective transport regulatory units.

The DSWD is also coordinating with local government units and LTFRB regional offices for additional payouts after Holy Week, as part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices following the declaration of a state of national energy emergency.

A commuter group welcomed some of the government’s measures, saying these help ease the burden on passengers.

The Coalition of Filipino Commuters said the suspension of fare hikes and the provision of fuel subsidies help stabilize commuting costs, especially for low- and middle-income passengers.

“By suspending the initially announced fare hike, the government helped address one of the most immediate concerns of commuters – rising fares amid already increasing living costs,” said Ira Panganiban, the group’s lead convenor.

The group also expressed openness to working with the government and transport sector on long-term solutions that balance the needs of drivers and commuters.

Stranded

The impact of the strike, compounded by the ongoing cash aid payouts, was felt during the morning rush hour, as some commuters were stranded while jeepney drivers claimed their cash relief assistance.

Passenger buildup was reported along Litex and Philcoa in Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, while the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority also monitored stranded commuters on Sucat Road in Parañaque due to the limited number of jeepneys operating.

“That information has reached my office. We have deployed our vehicles. I texted the road sector to deploy a bus… I think it coincided with the distribution of the cash aid for our jeepney drivers from the DSWD,” Lopez said, apologizing for the inconvenience.

Class adjustments

Due to the difficulty of commuting caused by the ongoing transport strike and the simultaneous cash aid payouts, some universities adjusted their class arrangements.

Ateneo de Manila University announced that face-to-face classes will continue on March 26 and 27, but students unable to attend due to transport difficulties should inform their instructors.

Faculty members were advised to extend consideration, while employees may opt for work-from-home arrangements or emergency leave with approval.

Meanwhile, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines shifted all classes from March 26 to 27 to online modalities, with the arrangement extended until April 1 to allow time for Holy Week travel. –  Andrew Ronquillo, Bella Cariaso, Jose Rodel Clapano