ILOILO City – Transport groups operating traditional jeepneys in the city and province of Iloilo will participate in a three-day nationwide transport strike from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22.
There are an estimated 2,500 traditional jeepneys in the city and province, both consolidated and unconsolidated.
Around “80 to 90 percent” of these will join the strike, according to Warren Gangoso, president of the “No to PUV Phase-out Coalition-Panay” and the Villa Transport Association here.
The strike, organized by transport groups Piston and Manibela, is a protest against the impending Dec. 31 deadline for the consolidation of traditional public utility jeepneys into cooperatives or corporations.
“We are fully supporting the call of our national leaders in Piston and Manibela, and we are committed to this cause here in Iloilo,” said Gangoso.
Their participation, he added, is in defense of their livelihoods as drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys.
“The situation is unjust. We bought our vehicles and franchises with our hard-earned money, with drivers struggling to afford a jeep,” Gangoso added.
They fear losing their livelihoods starting January 2024 if the government’s public transport modernization program – which calls for the phase-out of traditional jeepneys – is implemented.
“This strike seems stronger than the one we had in July. Even if it’s not 90 percent, the participation is significant, and I have confirmed this with my colleagues. Almost everyone we spoke to is joining,” said Gangoso.
They are not publicly disclosing the routes and jeepney associations committed to the strike to avoid reprisals from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that issued show cause orders right after the July strike.
Jeepney drivers and operators hope that this time the national government will listen to their request to postpone the full implementation of the transport modernization program because transport cooperatives and corporations are not yet ready.
“We hope for a discussion, but they are rushing it,” Gangoso said.
He also appealed to the public to support the strike by staying at home.
Arlie Bosque, president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, has called on schools, state colleges, and universities in the city to cancel classes during the strike or not to conduct online classes, to show support for the cause of the transport groups and to minimize inconvenience from the strike’s impact.
“As students, we invite school administrators to join the call to suspend classes as a show of support for the transport strike,” Bosque said.
Bosque believes students should support the “no to modernization” campaign as they, as commuters, will be affected if the modernization is implemented due to a shortage of modern buses to cater to thousands of passengers.
Peter Vigo, a traditional jeepney operator on the Bo. Obrero- Lapuz route, said he would join the three-day strike as it is their “last chance” to express opposition to the national government program.
A former seaman who became a person with a disability (PWD) after an accident, Vigo relies on his traditional jeepney for his daily needs and to support his two children and wife.
“If they phase-out my vehicle, what will happen to my livelihood?” Vigo asked.
Reynaldo Pumaren, an operator on the Leganes route, supports the strike, fearing the loss of his livelihood if the modernization proceeds.
He also said he did not join a transport cooperative as he could not afford the required monthly contributions and disagreed with the cooperative’s policies.
“Joining a cooperative means surrendering your OR/CR (vehicle’s official receipt and certificate of registration) and franchise to them, which is a violation of human rights,” Pumaren added.
During the three-day strike, the transport groups will set up strike centers in various locations, including in front of the Iloilo provincial capitol, Tagbak Terminal in Jaro district, the University of the Philippines on General Luna Street, and Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo.
Piston announced the plan for a nationwide strike on Wednesday, protesting the Dec. 31 deadline for the consolidation of traditional public utility jeepneys.
Its national president Mody Floranda expressed dissatisfaction with recent amendments to the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines, stressing that they did not meet their demand to abolish the franchise consolidation component of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) and to suspend the entire program.
Piston fears that the franchise consolidation scheme may lead to a monopoly by a few large fleet managers or corporations controlling PUV routes.
“The changes are not aimed at improving public transport, but rather to facilitate the takeover of routes and livelihoods by large businesses and corporations,” Floranda added./PN
