Geline Salac

Manila residents struggle to commute amid nationwide jeepney strike

Article (news)

struggle to commute

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Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Some commuters in Manila struggled to find rides on Tuesday after many jeepneys stopped operating due to a nationwide transport strike launched by the transport group Manibela.As only Manibela jeepneys served the Paco route, commuters had to take tricycles or other forms of transport.&quot;Actually, wala po akong idea na wala pong biyahe ngayon dito sa sinasakyan ko kaya nagulat na lang ako,&quot; said commuter Alex Semilya.Senior high school teacher Salve Robles said she had considered not going to work but decided to commute after hearing that free rides would be available.Her class was supposed to start at 6 a.m., but she was already late because there were no rides available.&quot;Mahirap, dapat hindi ako papasok pero sabi sa news meron naman daw ide-deploy na mga libreng sakay kaso nasorpesa ako na ito wala pala. Siguro magta-tricycle na lang o taxi na lang siguro. Mas mahal. Perwisyo di ba? Hindi nakakatuwa,&quot; she said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/9/gov-t-agencies-eye-early-2026-edsa-overhaul-1045">Gov&#x27;t agencies eye early 2026 EDSA overhaul as walk reveals unsafe sidewalks, bike lanes</a></div>Some commuters were also forced to walk along the side of the Nagtahan Bridge.According to MANIBELA, around 20,000 jeepney drivers in NCR did not operate as part of the strike.The group said the protest aims to draw the attention of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) over what it described as systematic abuse.Among the group’s complaints are the delayed processing of jeepney registrations with continued fines imposed and the impounding of vehicles that resulted in loss of livelihood, and alleged payola practices involving some LTO traffic enforcers.&quot;Ang talagang panagawan po namin ay maibalik &#x27;yung ating 5 years na prangkisa at mairehistro po tayo at tigilan &#x27;yung panggigipit dahil wala pong inilalabas na prangkisa, provisional authority o rehistro imbis po na ipambayad na lang po namin dun sa renewal nito, pinagmumulta pa po kami,&quot; said MANIBELA Chairman Mar Valbuena.Valbuena added that the LTO reached out to them only the night before the strike, but by then, preparations were already in place and the group could no longer back out.&quot;Parang sinisisi pa nga kami eh na hindi naman daw sakanila &#x27;yung may problema, sa LTFRB daw, so itong mga &#x27;to, walang coordination talaga, nagtuturuan kung sino ba ang may kasalanan. Sana pag-uusap na may solusyon may gawin na aksyon hindi yung idi-dribble lamang kami,&quot; he added.

Some commuters in Manila struggled to find rides on Tuesday after many jeepneys stopped operating due to a nationwide transport strike launched by the transport group Manibela.

Some commuters in Manila struggled to find rides on Tuesday after many jeepneys stopped operating due to a nationwide transport strike launched by the transport group Manibela.