Charles Teves
Jeepney drivers are urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to keep his promise of providing aid to the transport sector.
This is particularly true in light of the fact that traditional jeepneys are at risk of being phased out.
According to Danilo Santos, a jeepney driver who has been operating on the Pateros-Guadalupe route for over 26 years, he cast his vote for Marcos with the expectation that his means of making a living would remain stable. Unfortunately, his hopes were disappointed yet again.
“Noon pang panahon ni Duterte ‘yan. Sinusulong na nila. Tapos ito, noong maupo nga si BBM, ganoon pa rin. Binoto namin para kami maano na sa kanila, mabago na, hindi rin pala. Hindi pala kuwan ‘yung sinasabi nila na ‘Pag nanalo si BBM, wala ‘yang phaseout.’ Pero heto na naman,” Santos said.
Before the 2022 presidential elections, Marcos held a meeting with representatives of various transport organizations and pledged that, if he were elected, his government would provide a “decent home” and opportunities for employment for jeepney drivers and their families.
Marcos promised the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas during the election campaign. He said he would give priority to a bill that would establish a tax on public transport consumers to finance the transport modernization program.
However, up to this point, Marcos has not followed through on these commitments.
“Sana intindihin niya kaming mga maliliit, kaming mga driver,” Santos said.
“Sana makarating kay Pangulong Marcos ‘yan saka sa mga taong gobyerno natin na nagpo-post ng hindi nila alam ang kalagayan namin,” he added.
Santos is not the only one making this request.
Felix Ronquiniona, another jeepney driver on the Pateros-Guadalupe route, is also concerned that the Marcos government will eventually eliminate traditional jeepneys.
“Marami kaming kinakabahan ngayon na mawala ang jeep namin,” Ronquiniona said.
“Ang masasabi ko po sa Presidente natin, sana intindihin kaming mahihirap. ‘Wag na iphase out ang jeep namin,” he added.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has stated that only operators who have merged into a cooperative or corporation will be permitted to operate after the June 30 deadline, potentially leading to the loss of franchises for tens of thousands of traditional jeepneys.
While the LTFRB claims that consolidation is a necessary component of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, jeepney drivers are apprehensive that the program will ultimately lead to the phasing out of their vehicles and require them to purchase expensive modern jeepneys that they cannot afford.
Marcos’ dissenters wasted no time pointing out his failed promises.
budol moment pic.twitter.com/COYPwevB7y
— Malacañang Events and Catering Services (@MalacananEvents) February 28, 2023
Bongbong Marcos is a big giant dumbass to plead to jeepney drivers not to proceed with tigil-pasada while not fully conceding with their demands.
People want satisfactory response from you– one that satisfies their needs and rights. #NoToJeepneyPhaseout
— Elle Buntag #JoinLFS (@ElleBuntag_LFS) March 1, 2023
jeepney phaseout kineso started during duterte's presidency di ba? i wonder what made them think marcos would be different when he literally campaigned side by side with another duterte. you do the simple math. https://t.co/VRzc5vedhF
— Ayban (@Aybantotttt) March 1, 2023
hindi naman bagong balita ang jeepney modernization, rehimeng duterte pa yan kaya hindi yan consequence ng pagboto nila kay marcos. matagal na ang krisis sa transpo at mahaba na rin ang listahan ng aksyon para kalampagin ang gobyerno laban d2 hay touch sum grass or sumn
— caryl cuntalejo ! (@carylcant_) February 24, 2023
The transport groups that supported Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. last elections aren't those who are protesting against the jeepney phaseout.
And even if those who supported Marcos Jr. would protest against the impending phaseout, they still don't deserve to lose their livelihoods.
— Roentgen (@ronaldgem) February 28, 2023
While a traditional jeepney typically costs between P150,000 and P250,000 – already a substantial amount – modern jeepneys, according to operators, can cost over P2 million, making them far less affordable.
The PUV modernization program offers an equity subsidy of P160,000 for loans to operators who shift to modern jeepneys. However, even with this financial aid, operators would still be required to take on significant debt amounting to millions of pesos to make the transition.
On March 1, Marcos expressed that the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program must be executed in a “distinct manner” in response to senators’ appeals to postpone it and transportation organizations’ declaration of a weeklong jeepney strike to express their opposition to the initiative.
Due to the government’s recent deadline, hundreds of thousands of public utility vehicles (PUVs) such as jeepneys and UV Express vehicles are planning to conduct a week-long transportation strike in various parts of the country. Marcos and the Department of Transportation are hopeful that they can still hold talks with transport groups to avoid a strike.
The President stated that he is open to extending the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s June 30 deadline for PUVs to merge or risk losing their franchise.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on the same day that they would extend the deadline for jeepney operators to form cooperatives from June 30 to December 31, 2023.
“We are coming out with a new memorandum circular extending the deadline to December 31, 2023,” LTFRB Chairman Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III said in a press briefing.
“To be honest there is no pressure for us for this strike because more than 90% of the transport groups have signified their support to the program of the LTFRB,” he concluded.
