ILOILO City – “Indi gid ‘ko ‘ya pabor kay mabuhin sa income namon na. Hamakon mo P12 ang minimum fare namon, tapos himuon lang P9; P3 gid ang madula sa amon sa kada pasahero.”
This was the reaction of Carlito Silva of Barangay Balabag, Pavia, Iloilo, and driver of the traditional jeepney with Jaro CPU-Ungka route when Panay News asked if he is in favor of reducing the minimum fare by P3.
Last week, Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Jaime Bautista said they recommended “fare discounts” to commuters riding public utility vehicles (jeeps, buses, and UV express).
“Pre-pandemic fare matrix will be applied and the provisional fare increases implemented will be covered accordingly by the government,” Bautista said in the memorandum submitted to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Teofilo Guadiz III.
The minimum fare for traditional jeepneys will be P9 from the current P12 while for modern jeepneys, it will be P11 from P14.
The possible fare discount for buses will be up to P4, while they are still studying the discount fare for UV express.
For Silva, traditional jeepney drivers will drastically feel the effects of reducing the minimum fare.
He explained with around 200 passengers daily and each one paying only P9 instead of P12, his income will drop by P600.
Aside from that, Silva’s fuel expenses are now at P1,300 per day.
If the national government could lower the price of fuel permanently or steadily, he would not object to the proposed reduction of the fare.
“Tani steady lang anay kag indi pagbuhinan ang plete. Puede man nga ibalik nila sa nubo ang presyo sang gatong kay masugot kami nga manubo ang plete,” added Silva.
Another traditional jeepney driver Ogie Ramos shared the same sentiments. He plies the Jaro-CPU route.
“Paano kami ‘na kay nagamahal ang gatong. Kon magnubo ang gatong puede gid nga magnubo ang plete, waay gid problema,” said Ramos.
Further, he is not in favor of reducing the minimum fare even if the national government will provide subsidies through a service contracting program, which is to be implemented in the coming months after the DOTr allocated more than P2 billion in funds.
“Kami ‘ya adlaw-adlaw nagabakal gatong. Ang ila subsidy kon san-o man lang naga-abot,” he lamented.
Ramos spends an average of 20 liters in his unit, and the reduced fare means that instead of bringing home P500 to P700 per day to his family, he will only have P300.
If the national government will indeed implement the fare reduction, he has no choice but to comply, he added.
Mike Cabriel, also a driver of the Jaro CPU-Ungka jeepney, said the proposed changes in the base fare are a heavy burden for them.
Although the national government will provide a subsidy, Cabriel said it is not the drivers who will benefit but the operators.
“Waay na gihapon tupa kay indi man kami maka-avail nga drivers kay ang tag-iya (of the jeepney units) man ang maka-avail sang subsidy,” said Cabriel.
The same were expressed by Allan Jamili of Barangay Anilao, Pavia, Iloilo, and a driver of a Jaro CPU-Ungka traditional jeepney.
Raymundo “Boyet” Parcon, president of the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) and concurrent president of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Association (ICLAJODA), said they are also not in favor of the fare discount.
“Ang aton pangabay sa gobyerno nga dapat i-stable nila ang presyo sang diesel kay karon kon magsaka ang diesel kag magnubo ang plete pierde naman ang drivers,” said Parcon.
He wants the price of diesel to be stable at P61 to P62 per liter so that drivers can at least recover.
“Kon maglapaw kita dira tapos panuboan nila ang minimum fare, ti, ang aton drivers waay kita,” added Parcon.
The WVTC president also expressed skepticism about the subsidy.
“Ang subsidy sang gobyerno daw wala ta na sang salig kay ang nagligad ginpaagi sa operators pero daw nagpalpak nga waay ginhatag sang operators sa drivers,” he added.
Parcon said if the national government provides a subsidy, it is better if it is given through the cooperatives.
Coops, Parcon said, have complete list of drivers and would give the subsidy in full.
Currently, more than 1,000 traditional jeepneys under WVTC are plying different routes in Iloilo City, and five are modernized jeepneys.
Meanwhile, Rizal Alido, president of the Western Visayas Federation of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations (WVFTCC), said he is in favor of reducing the minimum fare as long as the national government’s subsidy is enough and would be sure to materialize.
Alido said he is aware of the proposal.
“Manubo kita sang P3 kay may contract servicing program to be implemented. Ginahulat naton ang implementing rules and regulations para mabal-an kon pila ang ihatag sang gobyerno,” said Alido.
Atty. Salvador Altura, legal counsel and spokesperson of the LTFRB Region 6, said they have not yet received the document or circular informing of the proposed reduction in the minimum fare.
The LTFRB-6 would wait for official documents from their central office before issuing a statement, he said.
Altura is only aware to the extent that the contract servicing program is proposed nationwide. But the LTFRB-6 spokesperson has not been informed yet on how to implement it, what the mechanics or guidelines are, or who can avail./PN
