Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 16) – Transport groups Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) and Manibela will hold another nationwide strike from Monday to Friday next week as a protest against the Dec. 31 franchise consolidation deadline under the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.
“Tuloy na tuloy po ang transport strike. Kaya po tayo nag-iikot para dun sa mga preparasyon po natin dun sa mga strike centers po natin,” Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena said.
[Translation: The transport strike will push through. We are making rounds to prepare our strike centers.]
Valbuena also reiterated that their protest is not an act to contradict the PUV modernization program.
“Ang panawagan natin yung deadline ng consolidation, pabor po ako dyan pero dapat yung mga hindi nakapag consolidate ay i-extend pa rin ang aming provisional authority, mga prangkisa,” Valbuena said.
[Translation: Our appeal is on the consolidation deadline, I am in favor of that, but the provisional authority and franchise of those who didn’t consolidate should still be extended.]
Valbuena said some jeepney drivers and operators cannot afford to purchase modern jeepneys, which cost more than ₱2 million.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier issued a memorandum circular revoking the permits of PUVs who failed to consolidate their franchises on Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, some transport groups said they will not join the Monday strike.
Among them are the Magnificent 7 which includes Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Stop and Go Transport Coalition, and Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas.
PISTON was the seventh group of Magnificent 7, which announced their departure from the group in November.
“Yung kasing ating mga driver sila mismo nagsasabi, pangalawang araw [ng transport strike] pa lang di na nila kaya dahil bibyahe lang sila sa umaga, saka lang sila titigil pag nakakuha na sila ng pambili ng bigas at ulam,” said Orlando Marquez, president of Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas.
[Translation: The drivers themselves said on the second day of the transport strike, they worked in the morning and only stopped when they had money to buy rice and dishes.]
“Yung pong transport strike ang talagang market na pinaparalisa nila yung pasahero. Wala namang kasalanan yung pasahero,” he added.
[Translation: The transport strike only paralyzes the passengers, who do not have any faults.]
According to the LTFRB, 68,830 PUV units have yet to join cooperatives or corporations with less than two weeks before the deadline.
CNN Philippines’ EJ Gomez and Celine Serquiña contributed to this story.
“Yung pagmo-modernize na kailangan natin hindi kailangang mahal, hindi kailangang i-phaseout, pwede namang i-rehabilitate,” he said.
[Translation: The needed modernization does not require to be expensive, it also does need to phaseout existing jeepneys when it can be rehabilitated.]
At least 2,000 jeepney drivers and operators are expected to join the nationwide transport strike. Of the total expected participants, at least 50,000 are from Metro Manila, Valbuena said
