Gov’t should get off our back, we’re already so miserable
A “bright idea” of government last November could have driven thousands of Filipinos out of work. The Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board ordered all public utility drivers and conductors to retrain in driving schools.
The aim was lofty – teach road discipline and safety. Road crashes and rage were causing multiple deaths.
But there was a catch. Driving schools were to pay P30,000 each for LTFRB accreditation.
For that honor they could charge at least P2,000 from each bus driver and conductor. Also, P2,000 from each driver of jeepneys, taxi cabs, ride hailing services, UV Express vans and hauler trucks.
It was to take effect New Year’s Day 2025 in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog. Other regions were to follow later.
Yet, in breach of procedure, LTFRB had not consulted any of the affected sectors.
Interviewed by broadcasters Ted Failon and DJ Chacha, Confederation of Truckers Associations president Mary Zapata said LTFRB bigwigs had met with them but on another matter.
Mega Manila Bus Consortium managing director Julia de Jesus said LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III had broached the need for drivers’ anger management, but not any payment.
Guadiz told Ted and Chacha that it was “a work in progress,” that there’ll be a “pilot study” and that LTFRB would conduct initial seminars. None of those were mentioned in LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2024-040 published in several newspapers.
What’s clear was the P2,000 per trainee, as signed by Guadiz, then-Board members Riza Marie Paches and Mercy Jane Paras-Leynes and executive director Robert Peig.
Guadiz said the P2,000 was the maximum fee that driving schools may charge.
Yet the memo clearly stated, “minimum prescribed fees: P2,000, inclusive of all admin and miscellaneous fees.”
When Ted pointed this up, Guadiz mumbled, “Itse-check ko po ‘yan, and if there are probably corrections needed, we’ll do that, ipagpatawad po kung hindi ko gaanong napuna ‘yan.”
Fortunately, new Transport Sec. Vince Dizon stepped in February and set things right. Otherwise, Luzon would’ve suffered transport shortage, fare hikes, lost livelihoods.
Dizon also fixed the Jeepney Modernization mess. LTFRB and Office of Transport Cooperatives had been falsely claiming 85 percent compliance nationwide, when in fact drivers couldn’t afford the P30,000 fee to join cooperatives, much more the P2-million cost of a modern unit.
Still the point is this: government must get off our back. We Filipinos are suffering enough. We pay too much taxes, yet get so little service in return.
Government should stop exacting any more payments. Just do its job. Like, in the case above, arrest reckless drivers and penalize their operators. But spare us from any more misery.
The Maritime Industry Authority too must stop over-regulating.
Under the past admin it issued Memorandum Circular 2020-03. International manning standards were imposed on domestic shipping. Skippers must be licensed as international shipmasters and so on down the line to deck officers and engine mechanics.
This led to shortage of ship officers, higher shipping costs and commodity price inflation.
Not even rich shipping countries like Japan and Korea have done this, knowing the dire consequences.
Severely affected is Central Visayas, where most passenger ferries and cargo vessels are registered.
Shipowners have had to terminate their most experienced but under-licensed ship captains and mates.
Problem is, most internationally licensed masters are employed abroad. Domestic firms are forced to helicopter their few remaining qualified captains to and from seaports nationwide: to command vessels in compliance with MARINA’s order. This bloats their costs.
The situation has bred problems in discipline. An officer who is taken to task for lousy work would simply jump ship and easily find employment in competing one.
Philippine Ports Authority further complicates matters. It compels shipowners to hire harbor pilots and barges to enter certain ports, although unneeded by captains who know the piers well and firms that own barges. Those too push up shipping costs.
Some ports obligate shipowners to rent cranes and other equipment even if the vessels are already fully equipped. Plain extortion.
These added costs, including for delays, are charged to shippers. Woe to those who ship perishables.
Shippers in turn pass on such added costs to consumers. No wonder that food, construction materials, appliances, furniture and other goods are so expensive.
Worst hit by government sleaze is Education.
After hiring 16,000 new teachers for all grades this school year, the Department of Education is still short of 30,000.
DepEd also lacks 165,000 classrooms nationwide. It’ll take 55 years to fill the gap, Education Sec. Sonny Angara says.
Imagine 1,800 students squeezing into only two standard classrooms and six makeshift ones in Naic, Cavite, so close to the national capital.
DepEd needs instructional materials, textbooks, laptops and laboratory gear.
Blame lawmakers for these. In finalizing this year’s national budget, they slashed Education to P737 billion. They also reduced child nutrition and school feeding funds.
Then they increased Public Works by P214 billion, from P898.9 billion to P1.113 trillion.
It didn’t matter to them that for 12 years now Filipino grade schoolers are lowest in international tests in Math, Sciences and Reading Comprehension.
What matters is the 70-percent kickbacks they pocket from flood and road works.
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