Transport groups say strike worked; govt disputes claim
TRANSPORT groups Piston and Manibela claimed on Monday they brought the streets of Metro Manila and the Southern Tagalog Region to a standstill in their protest against the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), but the government disputed the claim.
In a phone interview, Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena claimed that “more than 100,000 from our ranks at Manibela joined the strike today.”
As of noon, Piston separately announced that nearly 400 jeepney drivers and operators had converged along University Avenue in UP Diliman, with the throngs anticipated “to swell.”
Piston said that since the strike commenced, approximately 80 percent of major routes in Metro Manila, including segments in Cavite and Laguna, have ground to a halt.
The ramifications extend further, with Bacolod City experiencing a staggering 90 percent paralysis due to the strike’s impactful reach, Piston claimed.
The transport group added that stranded commuters dotted the landscape along Commonwealth Avenue and other arterial routes, exacerbating an already strained public transportation system.
Schools and universities were earlier forced to suspend classes or transition to online learning platforms.
“The massive police presence thad aims to quell mobilizations only goes to show the impact of the strike,” Piston said.
Gov’t plays down strike
HOWEVER, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) played down the effects of the strike, disputing the claims of Piston and Manibela.
“Kung ang pagbabasehan po ngayon is iyong [If we base it on] routinary traffic, tuluy-tuloy po ang traffic, tuluytuloy po ang pagsakay ng mga pasahero, wala pong mahabang pila [traffic flowed continuously, passengers were able to board their rides, there were no long lines],” LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said.
The LTFRB chief said rescue buses were also prepositioned in case of a shortage of vehicles catering to passengers in key areas in Metro Manila due to the transport strike.
“But we were actually more on the lookout for those who may not agree with the government program, and may think of throwing spikes or harass those who don’t share their views to stop them from joining government programs,” he said, speaking mostly in Filipino.
MMDA: No disruption
THE first day of the two-day transport strike failed to disrupt public transport operations amid the looming deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicle drivers and operators as part of the government’s modernization program, accordinng to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
“So far as of this morning, there was no disruption in public transport. Jeepneys plied their routes smoothly, in fact, we did not get to deploy any vehicle out of the 400 that had been prepared for augmentation under ‘libreng sakay’,” said MMDA Acting Chairman Romando Artes in a press briefing.
Earlier, Artes said they were closely coordinating with the 17 local government units in Metro Manila and other government agencies ahead of the strike.
He noted that besides the free rides, the Pasig River Ferry Service was also on stand by as alternative transportation in Metro Manila. “One avoids traffic and gets to one’s destination for free,” he said.
The agency also did not suspend the implementation of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or number coding scheme in the metropolis.
Meanwhile, PISTON members plying the Baclaran-divisoria route stayed at the terminal at the Baclaran jeepney station in Paranaque, holding signs condemning the planned phaseout.
A noticeable drop in the number of jeepneys was noticed in Commonwealth Avenue and in Elliptical Road also in Quezon City.
‘Justified’ protest
PISTON highlighted the necessity of the strike, as the April 30 deadline for industry consolidation looms.
According to Piston, this “threatens the livelihoods of thousands.”
Industry consolidation refers to the government initiative that requires PUV operators to form cooperatives or corporations for them to gain access to business financing to acquire modern units.
The PUVMP, which started in 2017, aims to overhaul the nation’s public transportation system, particularly focusing on jeepneys, the backbone of public transit in the Philippines.
The program is meant to modernize and unify the fragmented public utility vehicle industry, emphasizing the replacement of older vehicles with those meeting Euro 4 emissions standards. The program’s objectives include changing the franchising system, introducing new routes, and providing education to drivers.
Piston has filed for a stay order against the PUVMP before the High Court. Baylon noted that the group will soon urge the Supreme Court to act soon on their petition, which was submitted in December last year.