By Chloe Mari A. Hufana and John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter
PHILIPPINE jeepney drivers and operators on Thursday declared a transport strike across the country starting Monday to again oppose the government’s transport modernization program that will eventually phase out decrepit jeepneys.
“The series of hearings on the public utility vehicle modernization program in Congress has not yet concluded, and our petition against it is still pending in the Supreme Court,” PISTON Deputy Secretary-General Ruben Baylon said in a statement. “However, the regime is already rushing the takeover of livelihoods of drivers and small operators.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. On Wednesday said there would be no further extension of the April 30 deadline for jeepneys to consolidate into cooperatives and corporations.
The consolidation deadline lapsed on Dec. 31, 2023, but public utility vehicles (PUV) had been allowed to keep operating until Jan. 31 this year. The President extended the deadline to April 30.
Last year, Mr. Marcos had said the government would not extend its Dec. 31 deadline for consolidation. More than 1,900 unconsolidated jeepney and UV Express routes were at risk of being wiped out.
PISTON said its members would continue to ply their routes in Metro Manila despite the ban. It said their demand extends beyond another deadline extension and calls for the scrapping of the franchise consolidation requirement and the entire modernization program.
“Putting the cart before the horse, the route plan for jeepneys should precede consolidation,” transportation expert Rene S. Santiago told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “The administration should certify as urgent the pending bill on jeepney modernization if it is serious in achieving public transportation modernization without killing livelihood.”
Mr. Santiago said the government should invest in fixed public transport infrastructure such as simple passenger waiting sheds, mode interchange and layover areas for public transport and digitalization. “Virtual consolidation is much better than corporatization or collectivization.”
Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose Sonny G. Matula in a Viber message said the strike would inconvenience workers who rely on public transportation but “understands the position of the drivers at risk of losing their source of income.”
The labor group also urged the Supreme Court to consolidate petitions questioning the legality of the modernization plan.
The government has been trying to get jeepney operators to consolidate into either a cooperative or corporation since June 2023. They will eventually be required to buy expensive modern jeepneys.
Meanwhile, Senator Mary Grace N. Poe-Llamanzares urged the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to release the list of public transportation routes with consolidated PUVs before April 30, saying delays would burden commuters.
“We can’t just leave our commuters scampering for rides, especially under this extreme heat,” she said in a statement. “Were there substantial efforts to reach out to the drivers and operators to help them get into the program?”
Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said the LTFRB should be transparent on whether the dialogues with transport groups had eased concerns about loans and other financial aspects of their consolidation.
More than 300 public utility jeepney routes and 76 UV Express routes in Metro Manila alone have not been consolidated, according to the LTFRB website. About 76% of jeepneys nationwide have consolidated.
In a video message sent to reporters via Viber, Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos called for more consultations between the LTFRB and transport stakeholders to iron out funding issues.
“We all want new transportation vehicles, but the problem is we need to know where to get funds for these,” she said in Filipino. “There are a lot of issues, and we really need to discuss these.”
Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by jeepney drivers and an operators’ group against the jeepney modernization program, saying it should have filed the plea before a trial court.
LTFRB Chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III told congressmen in January about 38,000 jeepney drivers could lose their jobs once the modernization program takes effect.
Think tank IBON Foundation said PUV fares could increase by as much as P50 in the next five years if the modernization takes effect.
