ILOILO City – “Lower the price of petroleum products instead increasing public transport fare.”
This is the appeal of public utility vehicle drivers and transport cooperatives in the city and province of Iloilo to the national government, particularly to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Diesel prices are set to increase for the sixth straight week as major petrol players continue their plans to curb production. The hike per liter today will be P1.50. While lower than previous increases, diesel prices have already increased by more than P11 per liter since early July this year.
Gasoline prices will increase by P1.90 per liter while kerosene prices are set for a P2.50 per liter increase, the biggest hike for the current wave of increases.
In Manila, several transport groups asked LTFRB on Friday, Aug. 11, for a P2 nationwide fare hike.
Public utility vehicle drivers and cooperatives in Iloilo, however, prefer that the national government control the oil price hike or, better yet, lower it.
Iloilo public utility jeepney drivers (from left) Amadeo Dola, Romir Galaez, Jimmy Bisamen, Carlito Mission, and Rommy Tagabuen prefer lowering the prices of fuel products than a fare hike. They are worried about the fare hike’s effect on commuters, noting that classes in public schools will resume soon. AJ PALCULLO/PN
Raymundo “Boyet” Parcon, president of the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC), is worried about the fare hike’s effect on commuters, especially students, since classes in public schools will open on Aug. 29.
“Ang ginakabalak-an ko ang mga pumoluyo naton. Once mag-file kami diri sang petition, ti kaluluoy ang aton estudyante, ang aton commuters kay masaka ang plete, masaka naman ang prime commodities,” Parcon told Panay News yesterday.
He also lamented that due to the increase in the prices of oil products, the expenses of transport cooperatives also ballooned.
In his transport cooperative, expenses reached around P68,000 daily before the recent adjustments in the prices of oil products. Now, this jumped to P100,000 daily.
“Ang kada modernized unit namon subong nagatughong na kami P1,500 or P1,700. Sang una P1,200 or P1,300 lang,” added Parcon.
Under WVTC, 15 modernized units are based at the Mohon Terminal, 15 modernized units at the ITGSI (Jaro CPU-Ungka) terminal, and 17 modernized units at the Tagbak Terminal.
Parcon said they will monitor the situation for another week. If the price of oil products will continue to rise, he may meet with his members by September to discuss filing a fare hike petition.
The current minimum fare for traditional public utility jeepneys (TPUJs) is P12 and P14 for modern public utility jeepneys (MPUJs), both with an additional charge per succeeding kilometer.
For TPUJs, each succeeding kilometer costs P1.80 and for MPUJs, it costs P2.20 per succeeding kilometer.
Edgar Salarda, president of Alliance for Peace Sustainable Development Transport Cooperative plying the Hibao-an, Mandurriao route, said the cooperative is studying whether or not to petition for a fare hike.
“Bal-an man naton nga kon mag-file kita sang petition for fare hike, ang epekto sini matimbuok man bili sang balaklon kag may epekto sa commuters,” Salarda told Panay News.
He said they would gather supporting data from different gasoline stations in the city to evaluate the total increase in prices for oil products this year.
They are also looking at the call for expediting the release of the P6,000 fuel subsidy per driver.
“Kon may ara man lang sang iban nga pamaagi para mabuligan ang aton drivers,” Salarda added.
Balabag-Dumangas route driver Carlito Mission said the increase in oil prices is out of his control but prefers to have them lowered instead of a fare hike.
Jaro Liko Tagbak route driver Rommy Tagabuen said the same: “Tani maus-os ang krudo kay kon magsaka ang pamasahe, mabudlay man sa mga pasahero.”
He spent P1,100 for fuel compared to his P800 daily budget before.
“P300 tani ma-save mo sa isa ka adlaw kon wala sang saka sa presyo sang petroleum,” added Tagabuen.
Zarraga jeepney driver Amadeo Dola lamented, “Waay na kami sang kita, P200 na lang ang kita namon,” adding that he feels sorry for commuters, too, who are mostly poor like him.
Last month, he spent P700 per day on fuel, which had already increased to P1,000.
“Mas maganda kon manubo ang krudo kay kon sa pamasahe apektado ang commuters, apektado rin kaming mga drivers kay may pamilya naman kami nga nagasakay sa iban nga salakyan,” said Dola.
Jimmy Bisamen, driver of the Barotac Nuevo route, said his expenses for fuel increased by P400 daily.
“Daku gid ya ang buhin sa amon nga drivers,” he said.
Romir Galaez, driver of the Jaro Liko Tagbak route, is fine with a fare hike but said, “Masakit man sa commuters,”
He earns a meager P300 per day and spends P1,300 on fuel.
Among the drivers interviewed by Panay News, Ruben Pachica, driver of the Barotac Nuevo route, is dismissive of the option to call the national government into action.
“Sige ka man lang panawag kananda, waay man gihapon tupa. Kaluluoy lang ang mga pigado,” Pachica said. “Kon pasakaaan mo, parehas man lang nga pigado ang maiguan. Ang gobyerno ta waay gid tupa.”/PN
