Transport groups PISTON and Manibela declared another transport strike next week, December 18-29, to continue protesting the deadline for franchise consolidation looms at the end of the year. The transport groups deemed that the said deadline in line with the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) would simply lead to the phaseout of traditional jeepneys, also known in local culture as “hari ng kalsada” [king of the road].
Under the PUVMP, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) required all operators to surrender their franchises and consolidate them into a single one owned by a cooperative or corporation.
Buying a modern jeepney would set back jeepney operators by P1.4 to P1.8 million pesos (and loaning one could cost up to P2.8 million). Running a cooperative or cooperation required 15 modern jeepney units. Most of the operators and drivers today would be unable to cover these costs and their current units would not be allowed to ply the roads or even scrapped, which is why drivers and operators have gone on several transport strikes since the program was launched in 2017.
The PUVMP was launched through the Department of Transportation Department Order (DO) No. 2017-011, or the Omnibus Guidelines on the Planning and Identification of Public Road Transportation Services and Franchise Issuance, or more commonly known as the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG).
The strikes of the transport groups also demonstrated the gap that jeepneys and other public utility vehicles have filled for decades with the continuing lack of a national mass transport system.
Strikers set up camp in LTFRB
PISTON announced the two-day strike last December 10 on December 14 and 15.
On the first day, jeepney drivers and operators were joined by various progressive groups when they trooped to the LTFRB to stage their protest action. The groups also set up their camp in front of the LTFRB.
In the National Capital Region, according to Piston, more than 90% of the major routes were paralyzed while there were 85% outside the NCR regions also participated in the strike.
LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III held a dialogue with the protesting drivers. PISTON national president Mody Floranda stressed Guadiz was saving up face that his agency could not do anything about the PUVMP and so protesters must address the issue to president Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
“Ngayong araw napalabas natin si LTFRB chair Guadiz, at natuklasan nating si Bongbong Marcos ang nagtutulak na matuloy ang franchise consolidation sa December 31. Alam na natin ngayon kung sino ang tunay na sisingilin,” said Floranda.
[Today we compelled LTFRB chair Guadiz to face us, and we discovered that Bongbong Marcos is pushing for the franchise consolidation to go through on December 31. We now know who we should really hold accountable.]
‘Best liar’
According to the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition, the Marcos Jr. administration is blatantly misleading the public by claiming that 70% of PUVs have already consolidated.
The coalition added that the government failed to explain the data which involved all types of PUVs including public utility buses (PUBs), mini-buses, UV Express Services, multicabs, school services, taxis, and TNVS, as well as tourist transport and shuttle services.
“There are 64,639 unconsolidated units nationwide, 30,862 of which are PUJs and 4,852 UV Express units in NCR. This amounts to an estimated 60,000 PUJ drivers and 9,000 UV Express drivers, 25,000 PUJ operators and 4,000 UV Express operators in NCR alone,” the coalition reported.
PISTON referred to the Marcos Jr. administration with the DOTr and the LTFRB as “makamandag” [venomous], manipulative, and best liar.
“Nagpapasahan at naghuhugas kamay ang LTFRB at Malacañang. Walang may gusto umako ng responsibilidad para sa kabuhayang mawawala at komyuter na mapeperwisyo,” said Floranda.
[The LTFRB and Malacañang point to one another and wash their hands. No one wants to take responsibility for livelihoods that will be lost and commuters that will be harmed.]
The group said the government has no compassion for the 28.5 million commuters that will be affected.
PISTON has long held the PUVMP to be a big marketing scheme for businesses to sell over 200,000 modern jeepney units and banks to provide loans, even while the government does not pursue industrialization for the country to build its own modern jeepneys and set out to create a national mass transport system that can benefit commuters in the long run. The group held that the program is flawed, anti-poor, and only serves the interests of big businesses.
“It is only right and justified to strike against these policies,” the groups asserted.
 would simply lead to the phaseout of traditional jeepneys, also known in local culture as “hari ng kalsada” [king of the road].){kind=link}