MANILA, Philippines — A strike by public utility vehicle operators and drivers paralyzed 95 percent of transportation in Metro Manila yesterday, the strike leaders said as they announced they would push through with the planned week-long protest.
In an interview with The STAR, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) president Mody Floranda said that aside from the National Capital Region (NCR), the strike was felt in nearby regions.
“Based on our estimate, the paralyzation was almost 95 percent here in Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” Floranda said, that noting over 100 public utility vehicles (PUVs) joined the caravan from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
“Our mobilization will continue until President Marcos Jr. issues an executive order junking the modus memorandum order on the modernization program,” he added.
Based on the breakdown of Piston, among the areas totally paralyzed were those plying routes from Cubao to San Juan, Cubao to Divisoria, Malolos, Bulacan to San Fernando, Pampanga, Jollibee Molino, Alabang to Zapote Highway, Zobel Roxas to Paco, Navotas to Divisoria, Recto, Monumento, Malabon, Pateros to Pasig City, Zapote to Paliparan, Marcos Alvarez, and Sangandaan to Pajo to Divisoria.
Piston added that other areas affected by the strike included Marikina to Parang to SSS (70 percent paralyzed), Calumpit to Meycauayan, Bulacan (90 percent), Baclaran Metrobank route (90 percent), E. Rodriguez route including Cubao to Quiapo, Kalaw to Project 2 and 3 (99.9 percent), Novaliches to Blumentritt (80 percent), Pasay (90 percent), Palapala to Imus (70 percent), Los Baños to Calamba (95 percent), Calamba (80 percent), Antipolo to Junction Crossing (90 percent) and Cogeo to Cubao (80 percent paralyzed).
For his part, Manibela president Mar Valbuena said that the first day of the one-week strike was a success. “Aside from Metro Manila, affected by the transport strike include Central Luzon, particularly Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan and Calabarzon (Calamba, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon),” Valbuena told The STAR.
“The effect of the strike was lessened as many decided to cancel the face-to-face classes and companies opt for work-from-home setup,” Valbuena said.
Several schools and local government units have suspended in-person classes and work operations during the weeklong transport strike.
Valbuena said that the mobilization will continue until the government acts on the demands of the transport groups. “Other members of different transport groups joined the strike as the membership of Manibela is only 10 percent. The strike was composed of different affiliations,” he noted.
At the same time, Valbuena said that he was not surprised when the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) did not invite Manibela and Piston in the dialogue on Monday.
“I expect the LTFRB will never invite us. We anticipated that the LTFRB would downplay the strike. What we can say is we were able to stop the (face-to-face) classes and that is already a big achievement,” he added.
On the other hand, Pasang Masda president Obet Martin expressed doubt whether Piston and Manibela will be able to sustain the strike amid reports that the Piston Monumento Chapter will return to normal operation today.
“Tomorrow (Tuesday), we expect that the situation will normalize as the jeepney drivers cannot afford their family to suffer,” Martin said.
“In my experience as a driver as I am the oldest here, transport strikes cannot be sustained in one week. Many joined the strike today (Monday) because of the support of militant groups,” he noted.
Where is the President?
Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) slammed the government for not responding to calls opposing the jeepney phaseout.
“Where is the desire to actually address the grievances of the drivers and operators? Are they really numb?” Bayan said in the statement.
“Amid the transport strike, we ask, ‘Nasaan ang pangulo?’ What is his response to the demands to stop the phaseout and scrap the deadline at the end of the year?” it added.
The group also said President Marcos has the authority to revoke the Department of Transportation order, and “the ball is in his court.”
Bayan slammed the statements of some government agencies that the transport strike only accounted for a small number of jeepney drivers and operators. They said that they went from España, Manila to Quezon Avenue and East Avenue yesterday, but only saw one traditional jeepney plying the route.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police called on drivers and operators joining the transport strike to instead raise their concerns through legal processes.
“They do not have anything to paralyze. So why don’t they just air their grievances to the agency concerned so that it will reach the decision makers, whatever their grievances are?” Azurin said.
In Bulacan, the police provincial office said public transport operation were “normal,” as it bared an “isolated” case of a reported transport strike in Calumpit, where 50 jeepney drivers from the United Calumpit Jitney Driver’s and Operator Association and Manibela Driver’s Association participated.
The group was advised by authorities to conduct their protest actions peacefully without harassing other drivers and have been warned not to violate any law.
The transport strike was also supported by around 30 members of Anakbayan, Kabataan and STAND BulSU.
Tulong Guro
Members of the group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) yesterday extended assistance to jeepney drivers holding a strike to oppose the government’s PUV modernization program.
The group launched its “Tulong Guro” program by distributing food and drinking water in strike centers.
“As teachers, we aim to set a good example for our students on being compassionate, especially to the poor and the downtrodden, as opposed to the arrogance and cold-heartedness that the DepEd secretary has shown in her tirade against the drivers and us, her own employees,” ACT NCR union president Ruby Bernardo said.
Bernardo was apparently referring to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte who had repeatedly slammed the protesters and the ACT over the supposed “communist-inspired” transport strike.
Duterte even went on linking the ACT and Piston to Communist Party of the Philippines, National Democratic Front and New People’s Army.
“The right to strike is a basic right of all working people, guaranteed by international instruments and our own Constitution. It is the workers’ last resort in the face of unbearable exploitation and oppression, their means to assert and show the indispensability of their labor to the economy and the society,” Bernardo said.
Several transport groups, led by Piston, decided to hold a weeklong strike to oppose the national government’s jeepney modernization program which aims to phase out old jeepney units and consolidate drivers into cooperatives.
PUV operators were initially given until June 30 to form a cooperative. If they fail to do so, their certificate of public convenience will be revoked.
The LTFRB last Wednesday extended the deadline to Dec. 31 but some groups said they will push through with the strike. – Mayen Jaymalin, Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Elizabeth Marcelo, DM
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