PUV drivers reduce trips amid price hikes

MANILA, Philippines — Around 20 percent of public utility vehicle drivers and operators have reduced their trips as fuel prices continue to rise, according to Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide.

Piston national president Mody Floranda said jeepney drivers, operators and even transportation network vehicle services have scaled back operations as they can no longer meet daily boundary payments.

“Most of their income goes to their fuel, they have tiny to no take home pay anymore,” Floranda told The STAR.

Detailing the hardships faced by drivers, he said some survive on an “altanghap” system – short for almusal, tanghalian at hapunan – meaning they manage on just one meal a day. Others have sought alternative sources of income to make ends meet.

“This further brings down the livelihood of drivers. Drivers and operators no longer have a stable source of income,” he said.

To help affected drivers, commuters’ group PARA Commuters Network has launched a community kitchen initiative, providing meals and aid to transport workers struggling to feed their families.

“Right now, drivers can no longer afford to make a living, let alone feed their families. It is up to us, commuters, to show up for them! After all, they show up for us every day when we need public transportation,” the group said, urging the public to extend support to drivers and operators.

For the third week since the Middle East crisis triggered fuel price surges, Piston has staged protests calling for long-term solutions, including the junking of the Oil Deregulation Law and a rollback of fuel prices to P55 per liter.

Amid rejection from some economic experts, he stressed that suspending fuel taxes would significantly ease the burden on drivers.

According to Floranda, P25 per liter is collected for both excise tax and value-added tax on fuel. With an average daily consumption of 30 liters, drivers pay roughly P750 in taxes alone each day.

Piston is now coordinating with other transport groups in preparation for a larger protest action on Labor Day, May 1.

Demands

As inflation continues to hit households across the country, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines has urged the government to impose price controls and increase wages, as inflation surged to 4.1 percent in March from 2.4 percent in February.

Citing latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said the peso’s purchasing power has fallen to just P0.75.

Criticizing the government for failing to protect workers from the economic shocks, she said: “The government has effectively abandoned its responsibility to protect the people, leaving the economy exposed, wages depressed and basic goods at the mercy of profit-driven corporations. Instead of seeking senseless emergency powers, the administration should instead certify as urgent pending bills that provide meaningful increases in salaries, wages and economic benefits.”

She reiterated ACT’s demand for a P50,000 entry-level salary for teachers, P36,000 basic pay for Salary Grade 1 employees and a P1,200 national minimum wage, saying that worsening price pressures are hitting rank-and-file workers the hardest, those who have long been denied decent, livable incomes.

Echoing ACT’s calls, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) called on Congress to pass a proposed P200 daily wage increase and approve a P5,000 monthly wage subsidy.

TUCP Party-list representative and deputy speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza said the current proposed subsidy of P1,500 per month is insufficient, amounting to only about P50 per day.

Mendoza noted that without a declaration of a national emergency, the government remains limited in its ability to impose price controls or address excessive profit-taking in key sectors. — Christine Boton