ILOILO City – Over 100 individual operators and drivers of traditional public utility jeeps (PUJs) protested in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 in Barangay Quintin Salas, Jaro district yesterday.
They bucked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s reiteration that the deadline for the consolidation of traditional PUJs is Dec. 31, with no extension.
Non-consolidation would result in the termination of their provisional authority to operate, and the cancellation of their franchises.
The protesters were from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, and specifically from the Bacolod Alliance for Commuters Operators and Drivers (Bacod) and the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC).
Individual PUJ operators and drivers from Iloilo city and province and members of the “No to PUV Phase-out Coalition-Panay” also joined.
Rudy Catedral, president of Bacod, said, “We’re here united to show the government that many will lose their livelihood.”
Under Bacod, about 1,200 PUJ operators have not yet consolidated, citing the problems transport cooperatives and corporations in Iloilo City where many members did not receive the promised P500 daily dividend.
“We don’t want to join coops and corporations, seeing many failures in the modernization program here in Iloilo City,” Catedral said.
Catedral operates a single PUJ unit in Bacolod City. He appealed to President Marcos to postpone the implementation of the transport modernization program and the PUJ consolidation deadline.
Mary Jane Agosita from Bacolod City joined the protest, fearing the loss of livelihood if modernization goes ahead.
“As small operators, we struggle immensely to maintain our vehicles, and now they want to consolidate our franchises, leaving us without livelihood,” she said. “We hope the President shows compassion towards us.”
Jonafer Ramos from Barangay Boulevard, Molo district here, expressed no fear in joining the rally, seeing it as a last chance to voice their call to postpone the modernization program.
“We risk our children going hungry. Many drivers and operators are barely surviving,” said Ramos, a 15-year driver/operator.
Ramos, a former member of Kooperatiba Naton with a route in Villa Baybay, Arevalo district here, left the cooperative after not receiving the promised dividend.
“I operate now because I left the coop; they promised a P500 daily dividend, but even after a year, we got nothing,” he said.
He calls on the President to investigate transport cooperatives and corporations in Iloilo City for alleged corruption.
Sue Ann Rabotazo from Bacolod City said, “It’s not just us operators affected but also drivers and commuters. We agree with the modernization but not at the cost of losing our units.”
Rabotazo grew up with a father who was a driver and worked hard to buy a PUJ for him, but now fears the government will take it away, greatly impacting their lives.
Eric Bendoy from Bacolod City, a driver and operator, sees a harsh holiday season.
“This is a deadly Christmas and New Year for us. We plead with PBBM to give us a better holiday by allowing us to continue our livelihood,” said Bendoy.
Roger Maantos from Bacolod City wishes to continue their PUJ franchise until 2024 to ensure their jobs and their children’s education.
“We want to keep our franchises alive; what’s the use of modernization if we lose it? How will our children go to school?” Maantos asked.
Joey Masacote from La Puz district here is concerned about how they will sustain their families if they can’t operate in 2024. “How will we feed them if our operations stop?”
‘NOTHING NEW’
LTFRB-6 played down the protest. Atty. Salvador Altura, its legal counsel and spokesperson, said, “Their concerns are not new, and the reasons why they have not joined the consolidation.”
“We have extended our office hours to provide time and opportunity for those willing to consolidate. We have simplified the consolidation process,” said Altura.
Previously, LTFRB required several documents for franchise consolidation. Now, to meet the deadline, only two requirements are needed: the official receipts and certificate of registration, and articles of corporation or cooperative.
Regarding the call to extend the Dec. 31 consolidation deadline, Altura said he was unsure if the national government, particularly the President, would agree.
“A significant number have already consolidated, and even if these protesters continue their strike, they won’t be able to paralyze our public transport system,” Altura said.
LTFRB-6 data showed 60 to 70 percent of traditional jeepneys in the region have already consolidated.
Most unconsolidated units are from Bacolod City, where out of 2,000 traditional jeepney units, only about 500 have consolidated.
LTFRB-6 believes the high number of unconsolidated units in Bacolod City is due to strong opposition to the modernization program. In contrast, in Iloilo City, out of 2,500 traditional jeepneys, less than 500 units remain unconsolidated./PN
