PISTON resumes protest action despite consolidation deadline

Jeepney drivers and operators camp at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on the first day of the three-day transport strike, April 29, 2024, against the deadline for consolidation of jeepney franchises under the PUV Modernization Program. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Dozens of jeepney operators and drivers staged protests for a second day at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Tuesday, April 30, the last day for consolidation under the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

Instead of rushing to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to meet the deadline, members of transport group PISTON stuck to their guns in opposing the program.

Many of them even stayed the night in Liwasang Bonifacio, despite the heat and exhaustion from the first day of their mobilization and transport strike on Monday.

They plan to camp out in the area until May 1 before joining other progressive groups for a bigger Labor Day rally.

The government has granted several extensions prior to the April 30 deadline.

But PISTON said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has yet to address even the most basic of their concerns, such as the inability of small jeepney operators and drivers to shoulder the cost of modernization, without going into debt.

Jeepney operator Jason Pahinugutan said merely joining a transport cooperative is already expensive.

“P60,000 po yung membership fee. Tsaka yung processing fee ng mga papel ay nagkakahalaga daw po ng P15,000. Hindi pa kasama rito yung babayaran mo sa sinasabi nilang modern unit na nagkakahalaga ng P2.6 hanggang P2.8 million,” complained Pahinugutan.

“Bagamat merong ibibigay daw na subsidy, hindi naman sapat kaya mababaon lang sa utang,” he added.

Also among the protesters is Elsa Malubay, a jeepney operator who complied with the consolidation requirement back in December.

Malubay said she was only forced to do so out of fear of losing her livelihood. She also has yet to pay for her jeepney units in full, making it even harder for her to surrender them to a cooperative.

“Napilitan lang po. Kung hindi ho kami pumasok ng consolidation, sabi nga ho nila, hindi na kami makatakbo sa kalsada. E paano yung utang namin? Hindi kami makabayad,” she said.

She added that consolidating has done nothing to ease her fears, especially since the cooperative she joined was only just created and has yet to have a clear direction for its members.

“Naguguluhan pa ho talaga kami. Yung namamahala din sa amin, umaasa lang din siya sa anak niyang may pinag-aralan. Siya nga ho rin mismo, ayaw din ho talaga ng coop,” shared Malubay.

Groups of commuters and workers also participated in the protest action since they believe the PUVMP could push fares up.

“Siyempre po pag nag-modernize ang jeepney, naging aircon na lahat sila… Malamang sa malamang po tataas po ang ating pamasahe. Kami, bilang mga manggagawang pangkalusugan, hindi naman po tumataas ang sahod namin,” said Sally Ejes, President of the Philippine Heart Center Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers.

SMALL WIN

PISTON Deputy Secretary General Ruben Baylon said they consider it a small victory that unconsolidated jeepneys will still be allowed to operate for a few more weeks, after the consolidation deadline.

Transportation Undersecretary Andy Ortega earlier told ABS-CBN News that the LTFRB would give individual jeepney operators due process before revoking their franchises for failure to consolidate.

But for Baylon, this is an indication that the government has not prepared enough public transportation alternatives.

“Kitang-kita naman na halos kakaunti pa yung mga minibus at kailangan pa nila ang serbisyo ng mga tradisyunal na jeep. Kailangan pa nila ang serbisyo naming mga driver at operator,” said Baylon.

Meanwhile, if the DOTr and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. do not change their minds about the enforcement of the consolidation deadline, PISTON said they still have the Supreme Court to look to for hope.

The group on Monday filed a supplemental position before the high court for the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order against the PUV Modernization program.

End of the road? Philippine jeepneys face uncertain future
DOLE offers livelihood grants to jeepney drivers who refuse to 'consolidate'